IS FAMILY HEALTH DETERMINANT? A GENDER-SPECIFIC MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS IN ITALY

Background: The traditional model of the ltalian family, the married couple with children, is suffering a declining trend and many other family types are imposing. The aim of this paper is (i) to assess the role of family structure as determinant of perceived health and (ii) to investigate the existence of a geographical gradient of health. Methods: The study is based on data taken from the 2004 EU-SILC survey of Eurostat and regards people living in ltaly, aged 25 years and over. Results: Living alone or in an extended family with-out children is perceived an adverse health determinant for both sexes. Living in a traditional family with two children is protective for women health. The north-south geographical gradient of health is confirmed. Conclusion: Family structure is strongly associated with perceived health, with differences between genders. There is some evidence of a social gradient reflecting the north-south geographical differences in ltaly.