Geographical distances between adult children and their parents in the Netherlands

• Main Authors: Clara H. Mulder, Francesca Michielin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research 2007-12-01
• Series: Demographic Research
• Online Access: http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol17/22/

We investigate the determinants of geographical distances to parents. We focus on the role of family members who live outside the household (the parents themselves, and siblings), and on the distinction between the effects of life events and effects related to the timing with which these events have been experienced in the life course. We use data from the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study and linear regression models on the logarithm of distance. We find that life-course characteristics are much more important to the distance to parents than parental characteristics. Sibling characteristics, most notably the presence of a sister, also have an impact on this distance.