Ageing in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Contents
Editors and Contributors
Part I Introduction
1 Introduction: Ageing in Times of the Pandemic – Findings from the German Ageing Survey (DEAS)
1.1 Germany at the Beginning of the Pandemic
1.2 Research Questions
1.3 The German Ageing Survey (DEAS) as a Barometer of Social Change
1.4 Central Findings
1.5 Outlook
References
Part II Income and Work During the Covid-19 Pandemic
2 What Changes in their Financial Situation did People in the Second Half of Life Report After the First Wave of the Covid-19 Pandemic? Results of the German Ageing Survey
2.1 Key Messages
2.2 Introduction
2.3 Reported Changes in Household Income from Mid-March 2020
2.4 Relationship between Household Income and Standard of Living
2.5 Summary and Discussion
References
3 Effects of the Covid-19 Crisis on the Work Situations of People in Middle and Older Working Age
3.1 Key Messages
3.2 Introduction
3.3 Short-Time Work, Overtime and Weekly Working Hours in the First Months of the Covid-19 Crisis
3.3.1 Age and Gender Differences in Short-Time Work
3.3.2 Age and Gender Differences in the Increase of Overtime Hours
3.3.3 Sharper Declines in Average Weekly Working Hours for Men Than for Women
3.4 Changes in Time Spent Working From Home
3.5 Gainful Employment of Pensioners
3.6 Summary and Discussion
Appendix
References
Part III Subjective Health and Well-being During the Covid-19 Pandemic
4 How did Individuals in the Second Half of Life Experience the Covid-19 Crisis? Perceived Threat of the Covid-19 Crisis and Subjective Influence on a Possible Infection with Covid-19
4.1 Key Messages
4.2 Introduction
4.3 Data and Methods
4.4 Perceived Threat from the Covid-19 Crisis
4.4.1 People with Poorer Self-Rated Health Experienced the Covid-19 Pandemic As More Threatening to Them Than People Who Rated Their Health As Good or Very Good
4.5 Subjective Influence on the Risk of Contracting Covid-19
4.6 Associations between Perceived Threat and Subjective Influence on the Risk of Infection
4.7 Perceptions of the Covid-19 Crisis and Subjective Well-Being
4.8 Conclusion
References
5 How Healthy did Older People Feel During the Pandemic Who had not Experienced Covid-19 Themselves?
5.1 Key Messages
5.2 Introduction
5.3 Changes in Self-Rated Health During the Covid-19 Pandemic
5.4 Age Differences in Changes in Self-Rated Health
5.5 Gender Differences in Changes in Self-Rated Health
5.6 Socioeconomic Differences in the Change of Self-Rated Health
5.7 Summary and Conclusion
References
6 Covid-19 Crisis = Care Crisis? Changes in Care Provision and Care-Givers’ Well-Being During the Covid-19 Pandemic
6.1 Key Messages
6.2 Introduction
6.3 Data and Methods
6.4 Findings
6.5 Conclusion
References
7 Physical Activity during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Changes in the Frequency of Sports and Walking among People in the Second Half of Life
7.1 Key Messages
7.2 Introduction
7.3 Findings
7.3.1 Differences According to Age, Gender and Education
7.3.2 Differences According to Place of Residence
7.3.3 Difference According to Functional Health
7.3.4 Compensation Effects—Doing Less Sports and Walking More?
7.4 Discussion
7.4.1 Differences in Reported Physical Activity by Age, Gender, and Education
7.4.2 Differences in Reported Physical Activity by Place of Residence
7.4.3 Differences in Reported Physical Activity by Functional Health
7.4.4 Differences in Reported Physical Activity According to Previous Physical Activity
7.4.5 Declines in Sporting Activity only Marginally Compensated by Walks During the Pandemic
7.4.6 Conclusion
References
Part IV Social Support and Loneliness During the Covid-19 Pandemic
8 Caregiving and Being Employed—What Changed for Women and Men in the Covid-19 Pandemic?
8.1 Key messages
8.2 Introduction
8.3 Data and Methods
8.4 Findings
8.5 Conclusion
References
9 Grandchild Care during the Covid-19 Pandemic
9.1 Key Messages
9.2 Introduction
9.3 Data and Methods
9.4 Findings
9.4.1 The Proportion of Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren Remained Stable
9.4.2 Grandparents Who were in Transition to Retirement were Less Likely to Care for Their Grandchildren in 2020/21 than in 2017
9.4.3 Gender Differences in Grandchild Care Narrowed
9.4.4 No Differences in Grandchild Care by Educational Levels
9.4.5 Risk Factors for Severe Covid-19 Were Only Marginally Associated with a Decline in Grandchild Care
9.4.6 Grandparents Who Lived Further Away from Their Grandchildren Were Less Likely to Care for Them during the Pandemic Than Before
9.5 Discussion and Conclusion
References
10 Loneliness Increased Significantly among People in Middle and Older Adulthood during the Covid-19 Pandemic
10.1 Key messages
10.2 Introduction
10.2.1 Loneliness
10.2.2 Age, Gender and Education
10.2.3 Social Resources in Close Proximity
10.3 Findings
10.3.1 Increases in Loneliness Rates After the Start of the Pandemic
10.3.2 No Group Differences in the Increase in Loneliness Rates in the Pandemic
10.3.3 Social Resources in Close Proximity Were not a Buffer Against Loneliness in the Pandemic
10.4 Conclusion
References
Part V Societal Participation During the Covid-19 Pandemic
11 Volunteering in Organisations by People in the Second Half of Life during the Covid-19 Pandemic
11.1 Key Messages
11.2 Introduction
11.3 Findings
11.4 Summary and discussion
References
12 Age Discrimination in the Pandemic Was not the Rule—Every Twentieth Person in the Second Half of Life Reported Experiencing Discrimination Because of Their Age
12.1 Key Messages
12.2 Introduction
12.3 Data and Methodology
12.4 Findings
12.5 Conclusion
References
13 Internet Use by People in the Second Half of Life during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Social Inequalities Persist
13.1 Key Messages
13.2 Introduction
13.3 Research Questions
13.4 Access to the Internet
13.5 Internet Use Since the Beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic
13.6 Internet Use for Different Purposes
13.7 Age Differences in Internet Use
13.8 Summary and Discussion
References