The supposed regressivity of primarily price-based climate protection policy instruments often hampers an evidence-based discussion at the political level and is used as an argument against the implementation of corresponding measures. To assess the distributional implications of decarbonization, we developed climate policy scenarios for the buildings and mobility sectors including targeted compensation measures in close cooperation with stakeholders to identify socially acceptable pathways. Subsequently, three bottom-up sectoral models (for transport demand, vehicle choice and the building stock) were linked to a macroeconomic model to analyze the emission impact, the macroeconomic ramifications and the distributional effects of the policy portfolios on different household types. Our modeling results show that full decarbonization of housing and mobility in Austria by 2040 is achievable but requires (1) a comprehensive policy portfolio with rapid implementation to ensure the phase-out of fossil fuels and (2) targeted compensation for low- and middle-income households to enhance fairness and public acceptance. While climate policies have positive macroeconomic effects, they risk exacerbating income inequalities unless compensation measures, such as recycling revenues from carbon pricing, are implemented. These measures can help mitigate adverse distributional effects and enable investments in renovation, new heating systems and sustainable transport infrastructure, ensuring a just transition. • We analyze two policy portfolios for decarbonizing mobility and housing in Austria. • We engage stakeholders to design compensation measures for vulnerable households. • Our novel approach links one macroeconomic and three sectoral bottom-up models. • We explore macroeconomic impacts, vertical and horizontal distributional effects. • Results provide guidance for designing effective and equitable climate policies.

To explore the validity of using the English Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) as a proxy for individual or household income; for total IMD and subdomains, and for different individual and household types. Cross-sectional analysis of survey and administrative data. Income and contextual data were obtained from the Understanding Society survey, alongside the Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) of residence to enable linkage to the 2019 English IMD. The relationship between income and IMD (including subdomains) was explored using descriptive analysis and univariable linear regression models. Multivariable regression models were then employed to determine the relationship between income and IMD for different individual and household characteristics. Greater levels of income heterogeneity were observed in the least deprived LSOAs. R-squared values from univariable models suggest that around five percent of the variation in household income and around one percent of individual income can be attributed to IMD. Also, IMD was a particularly poor predictor of income for certain groups: young people under 25, females, those not in good health, White British individuals, single person households without children, and households in social rented accommodation. IMD is a poor proxy for individual or household level income, particularly for some population subgroups. Using IMD as a proxy potentially introduces large amounts of measurement error. IMD should be treated as an area level measure, both conceptually and statistically. Some IMD subdomains may be more useful for certain studies.

Impact of changes in the distribution of household types on residential energy consumption in Spain, 2006–2023

Despite the growing number of interventions aimed at reducing household food waste (HFW), many remain overly generalised and fail to adequately account for the heterogeneous routines, motivations, and disposal contexts that shape waste generation. This study, therefore, aimed to identify behavioural types in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) based on HFW habits to inform more targeted and effective reduction strategies. Using survey data from 966 households, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering were applied to identify co-disposal patterns of food groups and to segment households into behaviour clusters. The PCA identified four co-disposal patterns, while clustering yielded four household types: High-Spending Disposers (39%), Practical Waste Separators (30%), Time-Conscious Savers (17%), and General Bin Disposers (14%). Mean self-reported HFW generation was 1.1 kg/week. High-Spending Disposers reported the highest waste levels (≈1.8 kg/week), whereas Time-Conscious Savers and Practical Waste Separators reported substantially lower volumes (≈0.5–0.6 kg/week). High-waste households were more likely to be urban and have higher incomes. They also reported more frequent grocery shopping and lower levels of meal planning. In contrast, lower-waste clusters more frequently employed intentional, cost-conscious strategies and included higher proportions of older adults, non-Irish residents, and plant-based consumers. This is the first study that extends prior HFW segmentation research by incorporating disposal channels and revealing co-disposal patterns. Overall, the findings provide an evidence-based foundation for bespoke interventions, such as planning aids for high-waste households or reinforcing existing positive habits for lower-waste groups. It also aligns with the ROI’s Circular Economy Action Plan and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3

Not just anyone: Living situation is indirectly associated with cognitive impairment via depressive symptoms.

Health insurance costs are a well-documented source of stress for Americans, yet little causal evidence links improved insurance affordability to better psychological health. We use a natural experiment from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 to assess whether enhanced premium subsidies reduced psychological distress. We utilize nationally representative individual-level panel data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (2015-2023) and a difference-in-differences design, comparing individuals with private health insurance (treatment group) to those with employer-sponsored insurance (control group) before and after the ARPA's implementation. Results indicate that ARPA's subsidy expansions led to a significant decline in out-of-pocket premium costs (approximately 22% or $532 annually for single-person households), which corresponded with a notable reduction in moderate-to-severe psychological distress. Among single adults with private insurance, distress prevalence dropped by about 33% (p-value 0.039) post-ARPA, with a smaller but still significant decline of about 26.2% (p-value 0.022) observed when including all household types. These findings suggest that making health insurance more affordable can alleviate psychological distress.

Understanding heterogeneity in adaptation to intermittent water supply: Clustering household types in Amman, Jordan

Households play a crucial role in the propagation of infectious diseases due to the frequent and prolonged interactions that typically occur between their members. Recent studies have emphasized the need to include socioeconomic variables in epidemic models to account for the heterogeneity induced by human behavior. While sub-Saharan Africa suffers the highest burden of infectious disease diffusion, few studies have investigated the mixing patterns in the countries and their relation with social indicators. This work analyzes household contact matrices measured with wearable proximity sensors in a rural and an urban village in South Africa. Leveraging a rich data collection describing additional individual and household attributes, we investigate how the household contact matrix varies according to the household type (whether it is composed only of a familiar nucleus or by a larger group), the gender of its head (the primary decision-maker), the rural or urban context, and the season in which it was measured. We show the household type and the gender of its head induce differences in the interaction patterns between household members, particularly regarding child caregiving, suggesting they are relevant attributes to include in epidemic modeling.

• Estimate mode choice parameters by income class and household type • Apply logsum-based accessibility to assess Tokyo rail improvement benefits. • Work-trip benefits rise with income; variation narrows at mid-to-high levels. • Non-work trip disparities are greater, driven by VTT and household travel patterns. • Provides practical framework for equity-focused evaluation of urban rail projects. Recent discussions on transportation project evaluation have increasingly emphasized the importance of incorporating equity considerations. This study developed a travel behavior model that incorporates individual attributes and empirically assessed the distributional impacts of urban rail improvement projects in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Travelers were classified in this area into 24 attributes based on four income classes and six household types, and we estimated mode choice models for home-to-work and home-to-private trips. These models were then used to calculate the logsum accessibility measures, to predict user benefits from urban rail projects completed in 2019 and 2023. Distributional analyses revealed that for home-to-work trips, the median user benefit increased with income, but the interquartile ranges remained similar across most income groups above two million JPY/year. For home-to-private trips, benefits are higher for households with only one or two workers or for higher-income groups, reflecting greater variation in travel behavior and the value of travel time.

Introduction There is a lack of sufficient data regarding the knowledge levels and attitudes of married couples towards family planning (FP) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Researchers have highlighted an unmet demand for contraception and have demonstrated that married couples who need FP services have not adopted them due to insufficient knowledge. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge levels and attitudes related to FP among married adults attending Thumbay Healthcare facilities in the UAE, and to examine the sociodemographic factors associated with them. Methods A cross-sectional study design was employed and included married men and women aged 18 years and above who provided informed consent. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was obtained before enrolling participants (IRB/COM/STD/65/April-2022). A validated and pilot-tested structured questionnaire was used. Chi-square test analysis was performed. Results We surveyed 487 participants, with the majority aged 31 to 50 years (n = 304, 62.4%), holding a university-level education or higher (n = 427, 87.7%), employed in non-medical sectors (n = 382, 78.4%), and earning a monthly family income of 15,000 to 25,000 AED (n = 156, 32%). The knowledge level of 253 participants (51%) was categorized as low or below average. Significant associations were found between knowledge and age, education level, nationality, occupation, duration of marriage, number of children, family income, and household type. Over half of the participants demonstrated a positive attitude (n = 268, 55%) and expressed interest in learning more about FP. Factors associated with a positive attitude were being male, Southeast Asian nationality, having a university-level education or higher, being employed, a marriage duration of five to nine years, having no children, and living in a nuclear family household. The internet and media (n = 286, 58.7%) were identified as the primary sources of information. Hesitancy or refusal to accept FP methods was primarily attributed to family or spousal taboos surrounding the topic (n = 349, 71%) and misinformation (n = 299, 61.4%). Conclusions Although the knowledge level among most participants was low or below average (n = 253, 51%), over half of the participants demonstrated a positive attitude (n = 268, 55%) and expressed interest in learning more about FP. Sociodemographic, economic, and family characteristics were associated with both knowledge and attitude. The findings highlight opportunities for implementing awareness campaigns and educational programs to improve understanding of the topic. Further research examining contraceptive practices and related behavioral outcomes would help determine the effectiveness of such initiatives.

This study examined factors influencing the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among older adults in Korea by analyzing household type, health lifestyles (physical activity, oral health), and mental health using data from the 2024 Korea Community Health Survey (KCHS). A secondary data analysis was performed using the 2024 KCHS dataset. A total of 83,665 adults aged 65 years and older were included. Complex sample general linear modeling was used to identify factors associated with HRQoL. The mean EQ-5D score was 0.85. Living with others, engaging in daily walking (physical activity), and having no chewing discomfort (oral health) were significantly associated with higher HRQoL. Conversely, depression and high stress levels were strong predictors of lower quality of life. HRQoL among older adults is influenced by multiple factors including household type, physical activity, oral health, and mental health. Integrated interventions targeting walking, oral care, and mental health management are essential, especially for those living alone.

The subject of this article falls within the field of research on emigrants, particularly Polish emigrants in Scotland. Specifically, it analyses the impact of religion on the sustainable functioning of emigrant households. The article tests the following research hypotheses: (1) emigrants’ religiosity influences the ongoing sustainable functioning of their households, including economic decisions; economic decisions made in emigrant households are determined by the importance of Christian values professed by their members; (2) the religious community and commitment to it constitute a significant source of emigrant social identity; (3) the dynamics of cultural identity transformation (inculturation) in emigrant households depend on household type and relationships within the household. The test was conducted within the paradigm of quantitative social research, using the diagnostic survey method. The research technique employed was an online survey conducted in the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing) format.

Abstract Households are a major source of food waste, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, resource inefficiencies, and food insecurity. While the behavioural drivers of food waste are increasingly studied, few distinguish between households that primarily waste raw ingredients and those that primarily waste cooked food—an important distinction for urban-level interventions. This study uses primary survey data from 642 households in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It applies Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) to investigate the psychological and behavioural factors shaping food waste during home cooking. Findings reveal that intention does not significantly translate into reduced waste, indicating an intention–behaviour gap. Cooking ability and understanding of family food preferences consistently reduce food waste across household types, whereas planning and storage practices show limited effects. Notably, feelings of guilt are unexpectedly associated with higher waste among cooked-food-wasting households—potentially due to post-rationalisation. A supplementary exploratory Variance-Based SEM (VB-SEM) model of 113 zero-waste households shows that intention more strongly predicts this group’s planning and storage behaviours. These findings highlight the need for context-specific, behaviourally informed interventions that target distinct household segments. Differentiated strategies are essential to reducing food waste and promoting sustainable consumption in rapidly urbanising cities like Ho Chi Minh City.

ABSTRACT Developed countries are experiencing trends towards childlessness and singleness, along with the challenges of climate change, yet little analysis has been conducted to explore the relationship between these issues. The present study evaluates the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of five household groups and clarifies the climate implications of household transitions towards singleness and childlessness. We found that trends in singleness and childlessness in developed countries pose challenges for carbon mitigation. Although there is a sharp decrease in the GHG footprint of couple households with dependent children, the emerging single and childless households account for an increasing share of the aggregate GHG footprint due to the household and structural effect. Single and childless households tend to have higher housing energy expenditures compared to other household types, making them more vulnerable to carbon pricing. This suggests that climate policy should be aligned with demographic policies to protect single and childless households, fostering more inclusive and sustainable development.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10113-025-02511-9.

ABSTRACT Household projections, traditionally focused on household headship, now require new methods to better capture changes in household structure due to the rise of single‐person households and the diversification of household types and sizes. Accurate projections for detailed household categories are essential for economic, policy, and environmental purposes but are challenging due to the low composition rates in many household types. This study proposes a new household projection method for Korea that addresses these challenges. We introduce a headship‐based household composition ratio and define marginal, conditional, and joint household composition ratios using a two‐way contingency table of household size and type. A sequential projection method combined with the cumulative rolling N+point modified exponential model is proposed to project these ratios. Projection results demonstrate that the new sequential cumulative rolling N+point modified exponential model can accurately and stably project household composition ratios, including categories with very small values, in both the short and long term.

Poverty and gender inequality remain pervasive challenges in Ethiopia, disproportionately affecting women and impeding equitable development. However, existing studies in Ethiopia typically analyze gender differences in poverty using either monetary measures or multidimensional indicators in isolation. As a result, there is limited evidence that jointly compares monetary and multidimensional poverty and their determinants across male- and female-headed households. This study fills this gap by integrating both approaches to provide a more comprehensive understanding of gendered poverty disparities in Ethiopia. Drawing on data from the World Bank’s Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) comprising 4959 households, the study applies Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) indices and the Alkire-Foster method to assess poverty levels. Inequality is measured using the Atkinson Index and Multidimensional Inequality Index (MPI), while binary logistic regression identifies key determinants. Results reveal that female-headed households have a higher incidence of monetary poverty (44.8%) than male-headed households (32.1%), while female-headed households also display greater monetary inequality (Atkinson = 0.054) and higher multidimensional poverty (MPI = 0.087). Education emerged as the largest contributor to multidimensional inequality for both groups. Determinants of poverty varied by household type: household size, education, and electricity access were significant for female-headed households, while health access, housing conditions, and sanitation were critical for male-headed households. The study concludes that both economic and non-economic deprivations influence household poverty differently across genders. Addressing gender disparities in Ethiopia requires integrated policy approaches that target not only income generation but also access to essential services such as education, electricity, healthcare, and sanitation. Targeted interventions are needed to improve living standards among female-headed households through enhanced education and infrastructure. Simultaneously, male-headed households require support in managing larger family sizes and accessing adequate housing and healthcare. Gender-responsive and multidimensional poverty alleviation strategies are essential for fostering inclusive and sustainable development in Ethiopia.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to identify gender- and household type-specific nutritional vulnerability among older Koreans by comparing dietary behaviors, nutrient intake, and diet quality.MethodsWe analyzed data from 2,412 adults aged ≥ 65 years (1,118 men; 1,294 women) from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2019–2021). Household type was classified as one-person, couple-only, or with-children. Outcome variables included dietary behavior, daily energy and nutrient intake, and diet quality, assessed using the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI). Analyses were carried out accounting for the complex sampling design, adjusting for age, residential area, education level, household income level, economic activity status, self-rated health status, and survey year.ResultsElderly men in one-person households, compared with those in couple-only households, were more likely to skip breakfast and lunch and to consume less energy. The odds of intake below the estimated average requirement (EAR) were higher for iron (odds ratio [OR] = 1.731, P = 0.022) and zinc (OR = 2.460, P = 0.002) among men in one-person households. The KHEI score was the lowest among men in one-person households. Elderly women in with-children households, compared with those in couple-only households, were more likely to skip breakfast and to consume less energy. The risks of intake below the estimated energy requirement (EER) and EAR were higher among women in with-children households than those in couple-only households (EER: OR = 1.448; magnesium: OR = 2.090; iron: OR = 1.692; zinc: OR = 1.902; folate: OR = 2.282; all P < 0.05). The KHEI score was lower among women in with-children households.ConclusionElderly men living alone and elderly women living with children showed significantly greater nutritional vulnerability. More attention should be given to understanding how gender-specific household types can affect nutritional vulnerability in later life.

Environmental and socio-ecological performance of greening at household and street level.

The aim of the work is to clarify the potential of the Libri status animarum as a source of historical demography based on the analysis of the 18th century parish register created in the parish of St. Archangel Michael in Kolomyia, from the fonds of the Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv, Ukraine. The methodology of the research is based on the theoretical and methodological achievements of historical demography in studying the natural population movement in Galicia at the end of the existence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth – the 1760s–1770s; methods of research on the natural population movement were used (aggregative method; method of reverse reconstruction of civil status acts), in particular population structures according to sex, age and civil status (coefficients of masculinization/feminization, fertility/marriage/mortality; indicators of the declared age of parishioners, index of Child-woman ratio); the classification scheme of family structures of the some named Cambridge Group (Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure). The scientific novelty lies in the introduction of the 1763 register into scientific circulation, the external and internal analysis of this type of Libri status animarum as a source of historical and demographic characteristics of the faithful of the parish of St. Archangel Michael in Kolomyia, their gender, age and anthroponymics features. Conclusions. The register of parishioners of the church of St. Archangel Michael in Kolomyia in 1763 allows us to carry out demographic characteristics of the urban society of Kolomyia, in particular the belonging of the townspeople to the Union Church, to normalize the sex-age structure of parishioners, in particular the child population and the population of active age (in particular, childbearing age), based on the types of family households to determine individual social groups of the urban population in the light of demographic indicators, the specifics of the structure of confessionally mixed families. Using the historical and demographic potential of the register of 1763 to adjust the socio-historical dimensions of the Ruthenian (Ukrainian) population of early modern Kolomyia.