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Table 4 The relationship between parental status and self-rated health, living situation and social network: Distribution and significance testing.

From: The influences of childlessness on the psychological well-being and social network of the oldest old

 

Total

Parents

Childless

p**

 

n

%*

n

%*

n

%*

 

Dependent variables

       

Self-rated health

       

   n

345

 

309

 

36

  

   Excellent

16

4.6

14

4.5

2

5.6

 

   Very good

46

13.3

41

13.3

5

13.9

 

   Good

167

48.4

153

49.5

14

38.9

 

   Ok

109

31.6

96

31.1

13

36.1

 

   Bad

7

2.0

5

1.6

2

5.6

 
       

.469

Living situation

       

   n

493

 

436

 

57

  

   Living in the community

438

88.8

389

89.2

49

86.0

 

   Residential care

30

6.1

26

6.0

4

7.0

 

   Nursing home

25

5.1

21

4.8

4

7.0

 
       

.728

Social network

       

   Relatives

       

   n

489

 

433

 

56

  

   Close by

409

83.6

374

86.4

35

62.5

 

   At a different location

78

16.0

59

13.6

19

33.9

 

   No relatives

2

0.4

0

0

2

3.6

 
       

.000++

Friends

       

   n

479

 

423

 

56

  

   Close by

424

88.5

373

88.2

51

91.1

 

   Not close by

55

11.5

50

11.8

5

8.9

 
       

.524

Neighbours

       

   n

480

 

424

 

56

  

   Close contact

142

29.6

126

29.7

16

28.6

 

   Some contact

272

56.7

240

56.6

32

57.1

 

   No contact

66

13.8

58

13.7

8

14.3

 
       

.981

   Received help

       

   n

475

 

422

 

53

  

   No help

139

29.4

112

26.5

27

50.9

 

   From spouse

117

24,6

108

25,6

9

17.0

 

   From siblings

14

2,9

6

1,4

8

15.1

 

   From children/grandchildren

184

38,7

183

43,4

1

1,9

 

   From friends

21

4,4

13

3,1

8

15,1

 
       

.000++

  1. * Some percentages do not add up to 100% because of rounding.
  2. ** Calculated with Pearson Chi Square. Significance level at p ≤ 0.05
  3. + Statistically significant.
  4. ++Due to sample size ≤5 and p ≤ .05 Fisher's exact test was performed with p ≤ .05.