Private Households In Germany Research Articles

Cohort profile: Genetic data in the German Socio-Economic Panel Innovation Sample (SOEP-G).

The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) serves a global research community by providing representative annual longitudinal data of respondents living in private households in Germany. The dataset offers a valuable life course panorama, encompassing living conditions, socioeconomic status, familial connections, personality traits, values, preferences, health, and well-being. To amplify research opportunities further, we have extended the SOEP Innovation Sample (SOEP-IS) by collecting genetic data from 2,598 participants, yielding the first genotyped dataset for Germany based on a representative population sample (SOEP-G). The sample includes 107 full-sibling pairs, 501 parent-offspring pairs, and 152 triads, which overlap with the parent-offspring pairs. Leveraging the results from well-powered genome-wide association studies, we created a repository comprising 66 polygenic indices (PGIs) in the SOEP-G sample. We show that the PGIs for height, BMI, and educational attainment capture 22∼24%, 12∼13%, and 9% of the variance in the respective phenotypes. Using the PGIs for height and BMI, we demonstrate that the considerable increase in average height and the decrease in average BMI in more recent birth cohorts cannot be attributed to genetic shifts within the German population or to age effects alone. These findings suggest an important role of improved environmental conditions in driving these changes. Furthermore, we show that higher values in the PGIs for educational attainment and the highest math class are associated with better self-rated health, illustrating complex relationships between genetics, cognition, behavior, socio-economic status, and health. In summary, the SOEP-G data and the PGI repository we created provide a valuable resource for studying individual differences, inequalities, life-course development, health, and interactions between genetic predispositions and the environment.

Live-in migrant home care workers in Germany: Stressors and resilience factors.

Thousands of Eastern Europeans find employment caring for older individuals as transmigrating live-in home care workers in private households in Germany. Studies have shown that the stressors threatening their well-being are multifaceted and include inequalities and a high practical and emotional workload, but research on protective factors is still scarce. This qualitative descriptive study focuses on both the stressors and factors that promote care workers' well-being and contribute to their psychological resilience. In guideline-based interviews, 14 female and one male care workers were asked about their stressors and the factors that help them cope. Identified stressors included separation from their own family, strained relationship with either or both the care recipient (dementia) and their relatives (violation of worker´s rights and devaluation of care work), and permanent availability and lack of free time due to a 24-h care schedule. Resilience factors were both external and internal and included positive social relationships, self-determination, experience in care work, and intrinsic job motivation. Live-ins reside in an ambiguous setting, exposed to both structural and individual strains. However, external and internal resilience factors contribute to a generally positive attitude toward their job and indicate the agency of this precariously employed group. A socially anchored appreciation of their work and an officially controlled expansion of free time are mandatory to improve the working conditions of live-in care workers.

Einkommen und Kreditschulden privater Haushalte

AbstractThis article describes the development of the needs-weighted net household income of persons in private households in Germany since the year 2000. It also focuses on the presentation of the prevalence and amount of credit debts of private households. The central result is that the share of repayments for loans in Germany has been declining overall since 2000. In particular, the share of households that spend more than 30 % of their household net income on loan repayments has halved over the last 20 years. Despite this overall positive development, there is a risk that the problem of over-indebtedness in Germany could increase again since on the one hand, many self-employed people have suffered high turnover losses due to the containment measures of the coronavirus pandemic, while on the other, the ECB could raise nominal interest rates due to tightened inflation, which would lead to a considerable financial burden for indebted households.

Socioeconomic Factors Influencing the Prosumer’s Investment Decision on Solar Power

This paper identifies socioeconomic factors that are supposed to impact the investment decision of private households in Germany regarding small-scale solar PV (photovoltaic) systems. In 2022, the last nuclear power plant will phase out and the end of coal-fired power plants is fixed for 2038. Thus, the legislator is mandated to foster the addition of renewable energy capacities to close the gap fossil fuels and nuclear power leaves. Some share of the renewable energies could be from private households that mainly invest in small-scale solar PV systems. To stimulate investments, it is necessary to identify factors that are important for the investment decisions of private households. Within this paper, secondary socioeconomic data for the period from 2009–2018 was compiled. In order to identify the latent variables, a factor analysis was conducted. The results state five factors that are supposed to impact the investment decisions of the prosumer in Germany.

Heat adaptation measures in private households: an application and adaptation of the protective action decision model

Extreme heatwaves will occur more frequently and with higher intensity in future. Their consequences for human health can be fatal if adaptation measures will not be taken. This study analyses factors related to heat adaptation measures in private households in Germany. During the summer months of 2019, indoor temperatures were measured in over 500 private households in the City of Augsburg, Germany, accompanied by a survey to find out about heat perception and adaptation measures. Hypotheses deducted from the Protective Action Decision Model were tested using one-way ANOVAs, regression analysis and in the end a multiple hierarchical regression model. The results of the hypotheses tested imply an influence of knowledge and heat risk perception of heat adaptation behaviour and an influence of age on heat risk perception. The results of the regression model show an influence of the efficacy-related attribute, of age, indoor temperature, subjective heat stress and health implications to heat adaptation behaviour. In the end, this study proposes adjustments to the PADM according to the results of the hierarchical regression analysis.

Acceptance of criteria for health and driver scoring in the general public in Germany.

Numerous health insurers offer bonus programmes that score customers’ health behaviour, and car insurers offer telematics tariffs that score driving behaviour. In many countries, however, only a minority of customers participate in these programmes. In a population-representative survey of private households in Germany (N = 2,215), we study the acceptance of the criteria (features) on which the scoring programmes are based: the features for driver scoring (speed, texting while driving, time of driving, area of driving, accelerating and braking behaviour, respectively) and for health scoring (walking distance per day, sleeping hours per night, alcohol consumption, weight, participation in recommended cancer screenings, smoking status). In a second step, we model participants’ acceptance of both programmes with regard to the underlying feature acceptance. We find that insurers in Germany rarely use the features which the participants consider to be the most relevant and justifiable, that is, smoking status for health scoring and smartphone use for driver scoring. Heuristic models (fast-and-frugal trees) show that programme acceptance depends on the acceptance of a few features. These models can help to understand customers’ preferences and to design scoring programmes that are based on scientific evidence regarding behaviours and factors associated with good health and safe driving and are thus more likely to be accepted.

The Onset of Falls Reduces Subjective Well-Being. Findings of a Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study.

Introduction: The prevalence of older individuals experiencing a fall is high. Moreover, falls can have deleterious effects on health status. Additionally, falls can affect the subjective well-being of individuals. However, there is a lack of studies examining the link between falls and subjective well-being. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate whether the onset of falling is associated with (intraindividual) decreases in subjective well-being in men and women.Materials and Methods: Longitudinal data (from wave 5 to wave 6) were taken from a population-based sample of individuals residing in private households in Germany [in our analytical sample: 3,906 observations (men), and 3,718 observations (women)]. Positive and negative affect were quantified using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Life satisfaction was assessed using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS).Results: Adjusting for various potential confounders, fixed effects regressions showed that the onset of falls was associated with a decrease in positive affect (β = 0.08, p < 0.01), and an increase in negative affect (β = 0.07, p < 0.01) among men. While the onset of falls was not associated with changes in positive affect in women, it was associated with a decrease in negative affect in women (β = 0.06, p < 0.05). Sex differences were significant. The onset of falls was not associated with decreases in life satisfaction in men, nor in women.Discussion: The present study particularly highlights the link between the onset of falls and reduced affective well-being among men. Avoiding falls may contribute to maintaining affective well-being among middle-aged and older men.

Growing Potentials for Migration Research using the German Socio-Economic Panel Study

Abstract This article highlights the potentials for migration research using the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), a longitudinal panel dataset of private households in Germany running since 1984. We provide a concise overview of its basic features, describe the survey contents and research potentials, and demonstrate opportunities to link external data sources to the SOEP thereby presenting its diverse and impactful applications in migration research.

The economic research potentials of the German Socio-Economic Panel study

AbstractWe provide a concise introduction to a household-panel data infrastructure that provides the international research community with longitudinal data of private households in Germany since 1984: the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). We demonstrate the comparative strength of the SOEP data in answering economically-relevant questions by highlighting its diverse and impactful applications throughout the field.

Willingness-to-Pay for District Heating from Renewables of Private Households in Germany

Recent discussion about future energy production promotes the recovery of industrial heat as a potential solution to reduce carbon emissions. Experts call for an expansion of central heating by renewable energy systems to ensure a decarbonization of energy systems. In this context, district heating could play a significant role in city and district planning. Nonetheless, for private households, environmental aspects are only one factor amongst others as, e.g., capital costs, comfort and security. In this study, we focus on private household preferences and willingness-to-pay for district heating and district heating from renewables compared to gas condensing boilers and heat pumps. For the study, we decided to apply a discrete-choice experiment and collected data on attitudes towards sustainability, economic aspects and demands for providers of heat supply as dimensions for a factor and cluster analysis in order to apply a market segmentation. The results show that district heating by renewables is the most preferred heating option for households followed by district heating from fossil fuels, heat pumps and gas boilers. Furthermore, the study offers more profound insight into the willingness-to-pay for each heating option and reports interaction effects for the different market segments that could be identified in the analysis.

Personality Factors and Sick Leave Days. Evidence from a Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study in Germany.

Background: The question of whether employees’ sickness absence from the workplace depends on personality has been researched. Existing evidence mostly stems from cross-sectional studies, mainly showing that personality factors were not associated with the number of sick leave days, except for neuroticism, which was positively associated with sick leave days. Based on the above, it remains an under researched question whether intraindividual changes in personality factors are associated with changes in sick leave days. Thus, based on a nationally representative sample, the current study aimed to investigate the relationship between personality factors and sick leave days longitudinally based on a nationally representative sample of individuals in Germany. Methods: The present study used data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP), a longitudinal survey of private households in Germany. Information from the years 2005, 2009, 2013 were used. The Big Five Inventory-GSOEP (BFI-S) was used to measure personality. Sick leave days in the preceding year were recorded. Poisson fixed effects regressions were used. Results: Adjusting for potential confounders, regressions showed that increases in neuroticism were associated with increased sick leave days. The longitudinal association between extraversion and sick leave days was marginally significant (p < 0.10). Other personality factors were not significantly associated with sick leave days. In addition, sick leave days increased with worsening self-rated health, presence of severe disability and increasing age. Conclusions: The findings of the current study highlight the association between neuroticism and sick leave days longitudinally. Further research is required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Trends in socioeconomic inequalities in self-rated health in Germany: a time-trend analysis of repeated cross-sectional health surveys between 2003 and 2012

ObjectivesThis study assessed the extent of educational and income inequalities in self-rated health (SRH) in the German adult population between 2003 and 2012 and how these inequalities changed over time.DesignRepeated...

Heterogeneity in price responsiveness for residential space heating in Germany

More than 80% of the energy expenditures of private households in Germany are spent on space heating and hot water preparation. This creates opportunities for policymakers trying to influence energy consumer behavior. However, for these measures to be effective and efficient, the factors that determine energy usage need to be known. In this paper, we identify the determinants of heating and hot water expenditures for German households, using a panel dataset derived from yearly residential household surveys covering the years 1996–2014. Furthermore, we test for heterogeneity between households using different methods. For the full sample, we find an own-price demand elasticity of heating expenditures ranging from 0.573 to 0.690. A large number of technical and socio-demographic factors are significant determinants of energy use. Additionally, we discover significant heterogeneity in price elasticity between different socioeconomic groups. Our findings have implications for evaluating the effectiveness of policy measures that target influencing energy use across different groups of consumers.

Personality Traits and Obesity.

Objective: Previous studies investigating the association between body weight and personality traits have found mixed results. This paper uses a large data set and two different study designs (cross-sectional and longitudinal) to provide more consistent estimates of the effect of personality traits on obesity. Methods: The present study is based on data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) from the waves 2005 to 2013; GSOEP is a longitudinal survey of private households in Germany that has been carried out since 1984. Responses provided data about personality, measured using the BFI-S Questionnaire, data for self-rated body mass index BMI (to determine the obesity level), as well as information for potential confounders. Cross-sectional and longitudinal logistic regression models were used. Results: The cross-sectional study yielded statistically significant results for the association between the outcome variable and four personality factors neuroticism, extraversion, openness and agreeableness. After controlling for several potential confounders, the association between obesity and extraversion, openness as well as agreeableness remained; additionally, the personality factor consciousness reached statistical significance. In the longitudinal study, a statistically significant association was found only for two personality factors, namely extraversion and agreeableness. After adding the control variables, the FE-regression yielded an association only for agreeableness (negative). Gender differences were not significant. Discussion: The findings show that results of a cross-sectional study design differ from the outcome of the longitudinal study design. The latter stresses the association between excess weight and the personality factor agreeableness, contrasting with most outcomes of previous research.

Obesity and sickness absence: results from a longitudinal nationally representative sample from Germany

ObjectivesThe current study aimed at investigating the longitudinal association between obesity and sickness absence in women and men in Germany.MethodsData were derived from the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) which is...

Relations Among Maternal Life Satisfaction, Shared Activities, and Child Well-Being.

Maternal well-being is assumed to be associated with well-being of individual family members, optimal parenting practices, and positive developmental outcomes for children. The objective of this study was to examine the interplay between maternal well-being, parent-child activities, and the well-being of 5- to 7-year-old children. In a sample of N = 291 mother-child dyads, maternal life satisfaction, the frequency of shared parent-child activities, as well as children’s self-regulation, prosocial behavior, and receptive vocabulary were assessed using several methods. Data were collected in a special study of the Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), a representative longitudinal survey of private households in Germany. Using structural equation modeling, significant positive direct and indirect relations between maternal life satisfaction, frequency of shared parent-child activities, children’s self-regulation, prosocial behavior, and receptive vocabulary were found. The more satisfied the mother was, the more she shared activities with her child and the more the child acted prosocially. Furthermore, the higher the frequency of shared parent-child activities, the higher the child scored in all three analyzed indicators of children’s well-being: self-regulation, prosocial behavior, and receptive vocabulary. The current study supports the assumption of maternal well-being as the basis of positive parenting practices and child well-being.

Performance vs prospectus = transparency in German closed-ended real estate funds?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to close the transparency gap by comparing ex ante and ex post performance disclosure, thus providing important conclusions regarding the transparency of this important German market segment.Design/methodology/approachClosed-ended real estate funds (CEREFs) are one of the biggest segments of unlisted private equity funds in Germany. CEREFs have a central “profitability promise” that is based on ex ante forecasts given in the prospectus. Typically, equity is tied to these investments for up to 20-30 years, leaving investors highly insecure whether their expectations will be fulfilled and fund managers actually achieve prospected performances ex post.FindingsThe performance variance analysis of all German CEREFs outstanding during the global financial crisis reveals that prospect-performance disclosures as well as prospect-performance variances cause substantial problems in Germany due to overestimation biases of many fund managers.Research limitations/implicationsAs typical for the recent scholarly debate, also the past disclosure practice in Germany prohibits a long-term performance analysis, unless researchers apply instruments of modern investment analysis like comprehensive financial plans (“Visualisation of Financial Implications)”.Practical implicationsThe transparency developments in CEREF-reporting of the last decade deliver precise recommendations regarding the internal and external performance variance analysis, risk-profiles and stress tests for the future fund management.Social implicationsThe introduced methodology would increase transparency in the segment of CEREF and, thus, improve investor protection. Since private households in Germany mainly acquire these funds, this is a contribution to sustainability in private asset management.Originality/valueThe paper develops a new methodological framework for performance measurement of unlisted funds. It then assesses for the first time the impact of transparency and trust on fund performances by applying a performance variance analysis.

The use of routine health check-ups and psychological factors—a neglected link. Evidence from a population-based study

It is well known that the use of routine health check-ups is associated with socio-demographic and lifestyle factors. However, the link between psychological factors and the use of routine health check-ups has not been investigated intensively so far. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to determine the psychological factors associated with routine health check-ups. Cross-sectional data were obtained from a population-based study (German Aging Survey) of individuals ≥40 years of age and residing in private households in Germany in the year 2014 (n = 7708). Screening data and data on psychological factors were collected in self-administered questionnaires. Multiple logistic regressions were used to identify psychological correlates of screening behavior, adjusted for socio-demographic, lifestyle and health-related variables. Of the participants, 65.4% used routine health check-ups regularly. After adjusting for various potential confounders, multiple logistic regressions showed that the use of routine health check-ups was positively associated with life satisfaction, positive affect, optimism, self-efficacy, self-esteem and self-regulation, whereas the outcome measure was not significantly associated with loneliness, negative affect and perceived stress. Furthermore, the outcome measure was positively associated with age, being married and living together with a spouse or partner, body mass index, being a non-daily smoker, drinking alcohol less than once a day and exercising. However, it was not associated with gender, income, number of physical illnesses or region. The current study stresses the importance of the association between screening behavior and psychological factors. This may help to identify individuals at risk for underuse.

The role of self-efficacy, self-esteem and optimism for using routine health check-ups in a population-based sample. A longitudinal perspective

While several cross-sectional studies have shown that self-efficacy, self-esteem and optimism are associated with the use of routine health check-ups, little is known about this relationship based on longitudinal studies. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to examine whether these factors are associated with routine health check-ups longitudinally. Data were retrieved from a population-based longitudinal study of individuals (≥40years of age) residing in private households in Germany (two waves: 2008 and 2011). Widely established scales were used to quantify self-efficacy, self-esteem, and optimism. Respondents reported whether they used a health check-up in the last two years. Conditional fixed-effects logistic regressions were used (n=1504), adjusting for socio-demographic, lifestyle and health-related variables. After adjusting for various potential confounders, regression analysis revealed that the use of routine health check-ups increased with self-efficacy [OR: 1.71 (95%-CI: 1.14–2.55)], self-esteem [OR: 1.78 (1.16–2.73)], and optimism [OR: 1.37 (1.01–1.86)]. Furthermore, the use of routine health check-ups increased with changes from employment to retirement [OR: 2.60 (1.34–5.03)], whereas it was not associated with changes in age, marital status, smoking status, the number of physical illnesses, self-rated health and body-mass index. The current study stresses the importance of an association between screening behavior and self-efficacy, self-esteem and optimism longitudinally. Interventions aiming at modifying these psychological factors might help to increase the use of routine health check-ups.

Self-consumption with PV + Battery systems: A market diffusion model considering individual consumer behaviour and preferences

The market diffusion of self-consumption technologies, such as photovoltaic and battery systems, is an important aspect in the transition towards a sustainable energy system. Most studies, which address this issue, focus solely on economic aspects and neglect the influence of individual electricity consumption behaviour and consumer preferences on the individual benefit of a self-consumption system. Yet, preferences and behaviour have a significant impact in the market uptake of new technologies, as can be seen in the current sales figures of batteries for the purpose of self-consumption enhancement. The technology is purchased, even though it is still far from economically viable. In this study, a market diffusion model is proposed that is based on 415 individual electricity load profiles, which define the homeowners’ consumption behaviour. Additionally, the results of a market survey are included to explicitly model different user groups and map their varying willingness to pay. The results show that homeowners who are likely to adopt a self-consumption technology are on average characterised by higher annual electricity consumption. The consumption behaviour, and therefore the load profiles are heterogeneous within each user group and therefore, also the individual utility of a battery for self-consumption enhancement differs significantly. The results show that the suggested modelling approach is able to explain the past development of battery installations in private households in Germany. Up until 2030, the model simulations suggest a moderate development of battery enhanced self-consumption, resulting in a battery of 2GWh in private households in 2030.