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September 10, 2024 | News | New Faces at MPIDR
The Research Group Kinship Inequalities, led by Diego Alburez-Gutierrez, and the Laboratory of Population Dynamics and Sustainable Well-being, led by Emilio Zagheni, have the great pleasure of welcoming Sha Jiang as a new team member. more
September 06, 2024 | News | SPOTLIGHT
Cognitive impairment is a major concern for the aging population, with more than 55 million people worldwide suffering from dementia, a number expected to triple by 2050. A recent study found that compared to the United States, most European countries have shown significant improvements in average memory function among adults aged 50 and older over the past two decades. The study's findings highlight the need for further research and public health efforts to understand the reasons for cross-national differences in cognitive health trends, particularly the relatively stagnant trend in the United States. more
September 04, 2024 | News | Special Issue
In the midst of the pandemic, a team from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) organized a conference on "Pandemic Babies? The Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on fertility and family dynamics". The conference brought together more than 100 international researchers to discuss their research on the impact and consequences of the pandemic on families and fertility. The special issue of Population and Development Review, "Pandemic Babies: The Covid-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Fertility and Family Dynamics" has now been published. more
September 03, 2024 | News
Just this week a new cohort of 15 EDSD students is starting their classes at MPIDR. The European Doctoral School of Demography (EDSD) is an eleven-month, sponsored program that is offered every year aiming to provide students with an appropriate high-level education in demography to pursue their doctoral studies. more
September 03, 2024 | Press Release
During the Covid-19 pandemic, parents suddenly had to cope without formal childcare, placing a significant strain on mothers in particular. A recent study from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) examines the changes in childcare arrangements during the pandemic and how this impacted parents' mental health. Mothers who continued to be primarily responsible for childcare experienced increased stress and exhaustion during the pandemic. Fathers, on the other hand, benefited in terms of health when their partner continued to provide the majority of childcare duties. more
August 30, 2024 | News
On August 28, 2024 Xinyi Zhao successfully defended her dissertation on "Gender inequality in academia: Opportunities and Challenges in the Era of Globalization and Digitalization" at the University of Oxford, passing the viva without any corrections. more
August 29, 2024 | News | SPOTLIGHT
A recent study shows that reducing childhood obesity could reduce inequalities in emotional problems. Socioeconomic inequalities in adolescent mental health are also explained by the unequal distribution of childhood obesity. Children from low socioeconomic status (SES) families have more emotional problems because obesity rates are higher in this group. However, there is no evidence that obesity is more detrimental to mental health in some socioeconomic groups than in others. more
August 14, 2024 | News
Our well-being partly depends on the family constellations we are embedded in. The intergenerational position is particularly decisive, a new study says. more
July 29, 2024 | Press Release
Each year, hundreds of thousands of people are affected by armed conflict, both directly, through loss of life, or indirectly, through the loss of family members. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, CED – Centre d’Estudies Demogràfics and the University of Washington studied the extent and duration of grief among those who lost immediate family members in high-intensity conflicts. Their finding reveals that for every casualty, multiple loved ones carry the trauma for the rest of their lives. In Syria, for example, each death leaves an average of four relatives - parents and/or children - devastated. Bereavement can persist for decades, hindering reconciliation and potentially escalate future levels of violence. This study underscores the need for timely and effective conflict resolution and dedicated support for mourners. more
July 22, 2024 | Press Release
Single mothers often experience poorer mental health and lower life satisfaction due to increased stress, financial insecurity, and less support in everyday life. A study by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research and Tilburg University reveals that new partnerships can improve the life satisfaction of single mothers, especially through increased financial resources. Long-term partnerships increase ' satisfaction compared to more frequent partner changes, and despite financial advantages, a new partner does not usually bring relief around household chores to the household.
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