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Abstract Background This paper identifies differences in all-cancer incidence and mortality between Pakistani-born (PB), Bangladeshi-born (BB), their descendants, and the White British (WB) in England and Wales. Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are the most marginalised and disadvantaged groups in England and Wales yet, are found to have low cancer mortality and low all-cause mortality. Previous studies though have not looked at generational differences, applied individual-level data nor separated Pakistanis and Bangladeshis from each other and other Asian groups. Methods We use the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study of England and Wales which is a 1% representative sample of the population. We apply event history analysis on a study period from 1971 to 2016, following individuals from age 20 until a first cancer incidence, censoring at emigration or death. We observe 10,885,500 person-years and 71,926 cancer incidences for WB; 125,700 person-years and 295 events for PB; 53,900 person-years and 113 events for BB and 26,900 person-years and 24 events for descendants. Following incidence, we study a maximum of ten years until a death from cancer, or censoring. In this second analysis on mortality our sample has 329,700 person-years and 31,689 cancer deaths for WB; 1,200 person-years and 104 events for PB; 400 person-years and 50 events for BB and 100 person-years and 10 events for descendants. Results Results from the fully adjusted models show that the risk of cancer incidence is lower for PB, BB and descendants compared to the WB native group. Estimated hazard ratio (HR) equals 0.42 for PB (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.38–0.47), for BB HR is 0.38 (CI: 0.32–0.46) and, for descendants HR is 0.36 (CI: 0.24–0.54). Results for cancer mortality after incidence show HR for PB is 0.93 (CI: 0.76–1.12), for BB it is 0.95 (CI: 0.72–1.25) and for descendants HR equals 1.62 (CI: 0.87–3.02 - significant at 90%). Conclusions Using high quality representative data, we show that lower incidence of cancer and not better survival is the driver of the low cancer mortality previously found. This advantage persists across immigrant generations, but all-cancer mortality following incidence may be elevated for descendants.

Abstract Background Air pollution is associated with poor health; though it is unclear whether this association is stronger for ethnic minorities compared to the rest of the population. This study uses longitudinal data to investigate the spatial–temporal effect of air pollution on individuals’ reported health and its variation by ethnicity in the United-Kingdom (UK). Methods Longitudinal individual-level data from Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study including 67,982 adult individuals with 404,264 repeated responses over 11 years (2009–2019) were utilized and were linked to yearly concentrations of NO2, SO2, and particulate-matter (PM10, PM2.5) pollution once at the local authority and once at the census Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) of residence for each individual. This allows for analysis at two geographical scales over time. The association between air pollution and individuals’ health (Likert scale: 1–5, Excellent to poor) and its variation by ethnicity was assessed using three-level mixed-effects ordered logistic models. Analysis distinguished between spatial (between areas) and temporal (across time within each area) effects of air pollution on health. Results Higher concentrations of NO2, SO2, PM10, and PM2.5 pollution were associated with poorer health. Decomposing air pollution into between (spatial: across local authorities or LSOAs) and within (temporal: across years within each local authority or LSOA) effects showed a significant between effect for NO2 and SO2 pollutants at both geographical scales, while a significant between effect for PM10 and PM2.5 was shown only at the LSOAs level. No significant within effects were detected at an either geographical level. Indian, Pakistani/Bangladeshi, Black/African/Caribbean and other ethnic groups and non-UK-born individuals reported poorer health with increasing concentrations of NO2, SO2, PM10, and PM2.5 pollutants in comparison to the British-white and UK-born individuals. Conclusion Using longitudinal data on individuals’ health linked with air pollution data at two geographical scales (local authorities and LSOAs), this study supports the presence of a spatial–temporal association between air pollution and poor self-reported health, which is stronger for ethnic minorities and foreign-born individuals in the UK, partly explained by location-specific differences. Air pollution mitigation is necessary to improve individuals’ health, especially for ethnic minorities who are affected the most.

This paper reviews research on education and childbearing in Europe over the last decade. Early demographic research attributed declining fertility in advanced economies in the second half of the twentieth century to increasing female educational levels. The twenty-first century has witnessed further increases in educational attainment coupled with trend reversals in fertility. The relationship between education and fertility has become more complex, sparking renewed interest in the interplay between the two life domains. We examine how educational enrolment and attainment influence individuals’ fertility behaviour – both fertility timing and level – and how the relationship between education and fertility is shaped by contextual factors such as family policies, macroeconomic shocks, and normative changes in gender attitudes. We also summarise the recent literature on educational gradients in male fertility and review methodological developments to address issues of self-selection and unmeasured heterogeneity in the study of education and fertility. Finally, this paper identifies and discusses challenges and important areas for future research.

Background Air pollution is associated with poor health and higher mortality. However, studies that link high spatial resolution air pollution data for several pollutants to individual-level data over prolonged period (>10 years) and assess multiple health outcomes are limited. In this study, we investigated the association between 16-years exposure to air pollution and all-cause and cause-specific (cardiovascular, respiratory, cancer, infectious, and mental/behavioural disorders) mortality and hospital admissions in Scotland. Methods Individual-level data from the “Scottish Longitudinal Study” for 202,237 individuals (2002-2017) were linked to yearly concentrations of NO2, SO2, PM10, and PM2.5 pollutants at 1-Km2 spatial resolution using the individual’s residential postcode. The association between air pollution and mortality and hospital admissions was examined using Cox Proportional-Hazards and multilevel mixed-effects negative binomial models, respectively. Results Increasing concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 pollutants were associated with higher rates of all-cause, cardiovascular, respiratory, cancer, and infectious mortality and hospital admissions. Mortality from respiratory diseases increased by 6.2% (95%CI=2.8%-9.6%), 2.5% (95%CI=0.5%-4.5%), and 1.2% (95%CI=0.5%-1.9%) per 1 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 pollutants, respectively. Exposure to SO2 was mainly linked to mental/behavioural disorders mortality (HR=1.05; 95%CI=1.02-1.07) and respiratory hospital admissions (IRR=1.02; 95%CI=1.01-1.03). Conclusions This study revealed a positive association between air pollution and mortality and hospital admissions in Scotland. Interventions on air pollution through stricter environmental regulations could help ease the mortality and hospital admission burden, for both physical and mental illness.

While previous studies have emphasised the role of individual factors in understanding multimorbidity disparities, few have investigated contextual factors such as air pollution (AP). We first use cross-sectional latent class analysis (LCA) to assess the associations between PM2.5 exposure and multimorbidity disease clusters, and then estimate the associations between PM2.5 exposure and the development of multimorbidity longitudinally using growth curve modelling (GCM) among adults aged 45-85 in China. The results of LCA modelling suggest four latent classes representing three multimorbidity patterns (respiratory, musculoskeletal, cardio-metabolic) and one healthy pattern. The analysis shows that a 1 μg/m3 increase in cumulative exposure to PM2.5 is associated with a higher likelihood of belonging to respiratory, musculoskeletal or cardio-metabolic clusters: 2.4% (95% CI: 1.02, 1.03), 1.5% (95% CI: 1.01, 1.02) and 3.3% (95% CI: 1.03, 1.04), respectively. The GCM models show that there is a u-shaped association between PM2.5 exposure and multimorbidity, indicating that both lower and higher PM2.5 exposure is associated with increased multimorbidity levels. Higher multimorbidity in areas of low AP is explained by clustering of musculoskeletal diseases, whereas higher AP is associated with cardio-metabolic disease clusters. The study shows how multimorbidity clusters vary contextually and that PM2.5 exposure is more detrimental to health among older adults.

Background Recent studies suggest an association between ambient air pollution and mental well-being, though evidence is mostly fragmented and inconclusive. Research also suffers from methodological limitations related to study design and moderating effect of key demographics (e.g., ethnicity). This study examines the effect of air pollution on reported mental well-being in United Kingdom (UK) using spatial-temporal (between-within) longitudinal design and assesses the moderating effect of ethnicity. Methods Data for 60,146 adult individuals (age:16+) with 349,748 repeated responses across 10-data collection waves (2009–2019) from “Understanding-Society: The-UK-Household-Longitudinal-Study” were linked to annual concentrations of NO2, SO2, PM10, and PM2.5 pollutants using the individuals’ place of residence, given at the local-authority and at the finer Lower-Super-Output-Areas (LSOAs) levels; allowing for analysis at two geographical scales across time. The association between air pollution and mental well-being (assessed through general-health-questionnaire-GHQ12) and its modification by ethnicity and being non-UK born was assessed using multilevel mixed-effect logit models. Results Higher odds of poor mental well-being was observed with every 10μg/m3 increase in NO2, SO2, PM10 and PM2.5 pollutants at both LSOAs and local-authority levels. Decomposing air pollution into spatial-temporal (between-within) effects showed significant between, but not within effects; thus, residing in more polluted local-authorities/LSOAs have higher impact on poor mental well-being than the air pollution variation across time within each geographical area. Analysis by ethnicity revealed higher odds of poor mental well-being with increasing concentrations of SO2, PM10, and PM2.5 only for Pakistani/Bangladeshi, other-ethnicities and non-UK born individuals compared to British-white and natives, but not for other ethnic groups. Conclusion Using longitudinal individual-level and contextual-linked data, this study highlights the negative effect of air pollution on individuals’ mental well-being. Environmental policies to reduce air pollution emissions can eventually improve the mental well-being of people in UK. However, there is inconclusive evidence on the moderating effect of ethnicity.

Background: Previous work identifies conservative family behaviour amongst Pakistanis in the United Kingdom relative to natives, including earlier marriages, fewer dissolutions, and higher fertility. However, few studies have investigated how fertility and partnership are intertwined and interdependent. Objective: Our aims are, first, to identify differences between the family trajectories of Pakistanis and natives and, second, to determine if patterns are consistent across immigrant generations. Finally, we aim to identify how family trajectories vary across birth cohorts and education levels. Methods: We apply multichannel sequence analysis (MCSA) to data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study. We first use clustering methods to group similar individuals and then apply multinomial logistic regression to calculate the probability of belonging to a cluster based on individual characteristics. Results: The Pakistani population exhibits a higher likelihood of entering a direct marriage and having large families compared to natives. Cohabitation is rare amongst Pakistani population. These patterns have changed little between immigrant generations. Degree-level education is associated with a higher likelihood of adopting behaviours typical to ancestral natives; however, the effects are not large enough to indicate convergence. Contribution: We demonstrate the need to investigate partnership and fertility trajectories simultaneously and show the value of MCSA for identifying differences between migrant groups. The results improve our understanding of family formation patterns of Pakistani immigrants and their descendants in the United Kingdom.

The effects of COVID-19 are likely to be socially stratified. Disease control measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic mean that people spend much more time in their immediate households, due to lockdowns, the need to self-isolate, and school and workplace closures. This has elevated the importance of certain household–level characteristics for individuals’ current and future wellbeing. The multi-dimensional poverty and health inequalities literature suggests that poor health and socio-economic conditions cluster in the general population, which may exacerbate societal inequalities over time. This study investigates how COVID-19-related health- and socio-economic vulnerabilities co-occur at the household level, and how they are distributed across household types and geographical areas in the United Kingdom. Using a nationally representative cross-sectional study of UK households and individuals and applying principal components analysis, we derived summary measures representing different dimensions of household vulnerabilities critical during the COVID-19 epidemic: health, employment, housing, financial and digital. Our analysis highlights four key findings. First, although COVID-19-related health risks are concentrated in retirement-age households, a substantial proportion of working-age households also face these risks. Second, different types of households exhibit different vulnerabilities, with working-age households more likely to face financial and housing precarities, and retirement-age households health and digital vulnerabilities. Third, there are area-level differences in the distribution of household-level vulnerabilities across England and the constituent countries of the United Kingdom. Fourth, in many households, different dimensions of vulnerabilities intersect; this is especially prevalent among working-age households. The findings imply that the short- and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 crisis are likely to significantly vary by household type. Policy measures that aim to mitigate the health and socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic should consider how vulnerabilities cluster and interact with one another both within individuals and different household types, and how these may exacerbate already existing inequalities.

BackgroundAir-pollution and weather exposure beyond certain thresholds have serious effects on public health. Yet, there is lack of information on wider aspects including the role of some effect modifiers and the interaction between air-pollution and weather. This article aims at a comprehensive review and narrative summary of literature on the association of air-pollution and weather with mortality and hospital admissions; and to highlight literature gaps that require further research.MethodsWe conducted a scoping literature review. The search on two databases (PubMed and Web-of-Science) from 2012 to 2020 using three conceptual categories of "environmental factors", "health outcomes", and "Geographical region" revealed a total of 951 records. The narrative synthesis included all original studies with time-series, cohort, or case cross-over design; with ambient air-pollution and/or weather exposure; and mortality and/or hospital admission outcomes.ResultsThe final review included 112 articles from which 70 involved mortality, 30 hospital admission, and 12 studies included both outcomes. Air-pollution was shown to act consistently as risk factor for all-causes, cardiovascular, respiratory, cerebrovascular and cancer mortality and hospital admissions. Hot and cold temperature was a risk factor for wide range of cardiovascular, respiratory, and psychiatric illness; yet, in few studies, the increase in temperature reduced the risk of hospital admissions for pulmonary embolism, angina pectoris, chest, and ischemic heart diseases. The role of effect modification in the included studies was investigated in terms of gender, age, and season but not in terms of ethnicity.ConclusionAir-pollution and weather exposure beyond certain thresholds affect human health negatively. Effect modification of important socio-demographics such as ethnicity and the interaction between air-pollution and weather is often missed in the literature. Our findings highlight the need of further research in the area of health behaviour and mortality in relation to air-pollution and weather, to guide effective environmental health precautionary measures planning.

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of three measures of multimorbidity among people aged 50 years or older in England. Beside the basic measure of two or more diseases within a person, we added a measure of three or more affected body systems (complex multimorbidity) and a measure of 10 or more functional limitations. We found that the three health outcomes became more prevalent between 2002 and 2015. They were more common among females than males and were becoming more common among younger age groups. While in 2002, the prevalence of basic multimorbidity overcame 50% from the 70–74 age group upwards, in 2015 it crossed the same threshold in the 65–69 age group. The distribution of multimorbidity and multiple functional limitations were stratified by the amount of household wealth. Multiple functional limitations reflected the largest differences between the most and the least affluent groups (5.9-fold in 2014/2015), followed by the measure of complex multimorbidity (2.8-fold in 2014/2015) and basic multimorbidity (1.9-fold) in 2014/2015.While age acted as a levelling factor for the wealth differences in basic multimorbidity, it had no such effect on the two other outcomes. Our study observed social polarization among multimorbid ageing population in England where complex multimorbidity and multiple functional limitations increase faster and reflect stronger inequality than basic multimorbidity.

Background: This article provides an introduction to the Special Collection on "Separation, Divorce, and Residential Mobility in a Comparative Perspective." The Special Collection consists of six European case studies: Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Hungary, and the United Kingdom, and a cross-national study comparing Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. All studies focus on residential relocations or housing outcomes following separation. Results: Divorce and separation have a long-lasting impact on individuals' residential relocations and housing conditions. This influence is gendered - women are generally worse off than men - and varies by individuals' educational level, whether they have children, and who cares for the children following union dissolution. Conclusions: Although the study countries are different regarding their welfare systems and housing markets, papers in the Special Collection report striking similarities in the housing and residential consequences of union dissolution across countries. Separation leads to a prolonged residential and housing instability for many individuals. Contribution: The studies contribute to the literature by focusing on the role of repartnering, child custody arrangements, the parental home, location continuity, country context, and gender for postseparation residential patterns and trajectories. Furthermore, this Special Collection contains the first analyses of the residential and housing patterns of separated men and women in Eastern and Southern Europe.

Background: Housing tenure after divorce is an important factor in individuals' well-being. Although previous studies have examined tenure changes following divorce, only a few studies have compared patterns across countries. Objective: We study the destination tenure type of separated individuals (homeownership, social renting, private renting, other) in Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands and investigate differences by education and parenthood status. We compare the results of partnered and separated individuals. Methods: Applying Poisson regression to longitudinal data from four countries, we study individuals' likelihood of moving and moving to different tenure types by partnership status. Results: Separated individuals are more likely to experience a residential change than those in a relationship in all countries. Following separation, moving to renting is more common than moving to homeownership. In the countries where the data allow distinguishing private renting from social renting, private renting is the most common outcome. The second most common destination is homeownership in Australia, and social renting in Germany and the United Kingdom. We find interesting tendencies by education and parenthood status. Low-educated individuals tend to move to social renting after separation, whereas the highly educated tend to move to homeownership. Separated parents are more likely to move to social and private renting than those who are childless (except in the United Kingdom, where childless separated people tend to move to private renting). Contribution: The findings highlight striking similarities in individuals' post-separation residential mobility and housing across countries, despite significant differences in welfare systems and housing markets.

Background: Divorce and separation have become common life-course events in many European countries. Previous studies show that separated individuals are likely to move from homeownership to renting and to experience a period of residential instability. However, little is known about postseparation homeownership levels in the long run. Objective: This paper investigates homeownership levels after union dissolution. We extend previous research by examining changes in homeownership levels after separation by time (since union dissolution) and across population subgroups. We study whether and how postseparation homeownership levels are associated with repartnering and gender. Methods: We use Finnish register data and logistic regression analysis. Results: Compared to partnered individuals, homeownership levels among recently separated individuals are low. With increasing time since union dissolution, homeownership levels increase. However, the levels are high only among repartnered persons and remain low among separated individuals who remain single. Homeownership levels are slightly lower among separated women than among separated men. Contribution: The study shows the short- and long-term effects of separation on individuals' housing careers. After separation many individuals move from homeownership to rental accommodation, and most previous renters continue to rent. Separated individuals who form new unions are likely to move or return to homeownership. By contrast, those who remain unpartnered following separation have a low likelihood of living in owner-occupied dwellings. This likely reflects both individuals' choices and their constrained opportunities in a country with high homeownership aspirations and levels.

Background: A growing body of literature shows that divorce and separation have negative consequences for individuals' residential mobility and housing conditions. Yet, no study to date has examined housing trajectories of separated individuals. Objective: We investigate housing trajectories of separated men and women using longitudinal data from Britain. Methods: We apply sequence analysis to data from 18 waves of the British Household Panel Survey (1991-2008). We use time since separation as the 'clock' in our analysis and examine the sensitivity of the results to attrition, the length of the observation window, and the choice of classification criteria. Results: We identify five types of housing trajectories among separated individuals: 'owner stayers,' 'owner movers,' 'social rent stayers,' 'social rent movers,' and 'private renters.' Men are more likely to stay in homeownership, whereas women are more likely to stay in social housing. There is an expected educational gradient: Highly educated individuals are likely to remain homeowners, whereas people with low educational level have a high propensity to stay in or to move to social housing. Overall, this study shows that some individuals can afford homeownership after separation, and that social housing offers a safety net for the most vulnerable population subgroups (low-educated women with children). However, a significant group of separated individuals is unable to afford homeownership in a country where homeownership is still the norm. Contribution: This study shows that separation has long-term consequences for individuals' housing conditions and that post-separation housing trajectories are significantly shaped by individuals' socioeconomic characteristics.

Objective: This article provides an introduction to a special collection on childbearing among the descendants of immigrants in Europe. We first review recent life-course research on fertility of immigrants and their descendants followed by a summary of the papers of this special collection. Finally, we discuss their contribution and future research avenues. Results: The papers of this special collection report significant heterogeneity in childbearing patterns among descendants of immigrants. Some groups have fertility levels similar to those of natives, some have lower fertility, and some exhibit significantly higher fertility. Further, polarisation characterises many descendant groups; some individuals have small families or even remain childless, whereas others have large families. Conclusions: We conclude that factors related to mainstream society, minority subculture, and minority status all shape fertility behaviour of the descendants of immigrants and that their impact varies across descendant groups. Future research should investigate whether the observed heterogeneity in childbearing patterns is likely to decline over generations or the diversity is here to stay. Contribution: This article provides an introduction to a special collection on childbearing among the descendants of immigrants in Europe.

Background: Immigrants and their descendants often marry a co-ethnic partner despite the abundance of native-born marriage candidates. The prevalence of co-ethnic marriages and intermarriage among migrants is influenced by their integration level and cultural background as much as individual preferences and structural factors. Objective: This paper expands existing literature on intermarriage by analysing first marriages across European countries, distinguishing marriage type (endogamous versus exogamous) and migrant generations (immigrants versus their descendants). Methods: Data from seven countries was aggregated using the count-data method and was subsequently pooled and analysed together; first, to estimate unadjusted first marriage rates; second, to calculate marriage risks separately by marriage type; and, finally, to directly compare the risk of exogamous and endogamous marriage. Results: There are substantial differences in the prevalence of co-ethnic marriage and intermarriage across the migrant groups. Migrants from non-EU countries often show a high prevalence of co-ethnic marriages and a low risk of intermarriage, whereas migrants from neighbouring countries show a relatively high risk of intermarriage. Conclusions: Ethnic background and early socialisation have strong impacts on the partner choice of migrants and their descendants. The results suggest a strong influence of minority subcultures for some migrant groups, but also intergenerational adaptation processes for others. Contribution: This paper provides an up-to-date comparison of intermarriage rates across seven European countries and two migrant generations, presenting evidence of both similarities and differences across countries.

Objective: This paper studies postseparation fertility behavior. The aim is to investigate whether, and if so how, separation affects second birth spacing in Western European countries. Methods: This analysis makes use of rich survey data from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, as well as from Finnish register data. We thus cover the behavior of a large proportion of the population of Western Europe. We also use descriptive measures, such as Kaplan‒Meier survival functions and cumulative incidence curves. In the multivariate analysis, we employ event history modeling to show how education relates to postseparation fertility behavior. Results: There are large differences in postseparation fertility behavior across European countries. For Spain and Italy, we find that only a negligibly small proportion of the population have a second child after separating from the other parent of the firstborn child. The countries with the highest proportion of second children with a new partner are the United Kingdom, Germany, and Finland. In all countries, separation after first birth leads to a sharp increase in the birth interval between first and second births. Contribution: Our study is a contribution to the demographic literature that aims at understanding birth spacing patterns in Western Europe. Furthermore, we draw attention to the role of postseparation policies in explaining country differences in fertility behavior in contemporary societies.

Background: Previous research has shown high total fertility among certain UK-born ethnic minorities, but the reasons behind their high fertility have remained far from clear. Some researchers attribute their elevated fertility levels to cultural factors, whereas others argue that high fertility is the consequence of their poor education and labour market prospects. Objective: This study investigates fertility among the descendants of immigrants in the UK and examines the determinants of high fertility among certain ethnic minority groups. Methods: We use data from the Understanding Society study and apply multivariate event history analysis. Results: The analysis shows, first, that relatively high second-, third-, and fourth-birth rates are responsible for the elevated total fertility among certain UK-born minorities, especially women of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin. There is little variation in the first-birth rates among natives and immigrant descendants. Second, although fertility differences between ethnic minorities and native British women slightly decrease once religiosity and number of siblings are controlled for, significant differences persist. We conclude that cultural factors account for some elevated fertility among ethnic groups in the UK, whereas the role of education and employment seem to be only minor. Contribution: Cultural factors account for some elevated fertility among ethnic minorities in the UK, whereas the role of education and employment seem to be negligible.

Background: This article provides an introduction to the special collection of papers on partnership dynamics among immigrants and their descendants in five selected European countries: Sweden, France, the UK, Spain, and Estonia. Results: The analysis shows a significant variation in partnership patterns among immigrants in all five countries. Immigrants from countries with more 'conservative' family patterns (e.g., those from Turkey, South Asia, and the Maghreb region) have high marriage rates, low (premarital) cohabitation levels, and are less likely to separate. By contrast, more 'fluid' family formation patterns dominate among some non-European immigrant groups (e.g., Caribbeans, Sub-Saharan Africans, and Latin Americans). Conclusions: The significant diversity of partnership patterns within countries across immigrant groups supports the idea that socialisation factors play an important role in their partnership behaviour. The partnership patterns of immigrants' descendants are 'in-between'. These findings support the idea that both the minority subculture and the mainstream society have an effect on the behaviour of ethnic groups; however, the role of minority subculture seems to be larger than expected among some groups (e.g., individuals of Turkish, South Asian, Slavic, and Maghrebian origin). Contribution: All five studies report a significant diversity in partnership patterns across ethnic groups and suggest that the diversity in family forms will persist in the future. We argue that future research should investigate family patterns among the 'third generation', examine the links between economic and cultural integration of ethnic minorities, and exploit various novel techniques to analyse the dynamic nature of individuals' lives.

Background: There is a growing literature on the dynamics of immigrant fertility and mixed marriages, but partnership transitions among immigrants and ethnic minorities are little studied. Objective: This study investigates union formation and dissolution among immigrants and their descendants in the UK. Methods: We use data from the Understanding Society study and apply the techniques of event history analysis. We contrast partnership trajectories of various immigrant groups and compare these with those of the 'native' British population. Results: The analysis shows significant differences in partnership formation and dissolution among immigrants and ethnic minorities. Women of Caribbean origin have the highest cohabitation and the lowest marriage rates, whereas cohabitation remains rare among immigrants from South Asia and their descendants, as most of them marry directly. Immigrants from the Caribbean region and their descendants also show higher divorce rates than 'native' British women, whereas women of South Asian origin have a low divorce risk.

Research on residential and housing inequality in the cities under central planning has a long tradition. However, previous studies have mostly focused on age and social segregation, while ethnic di.fferences have been poorly investigated. This research clarifies the ethnic di.fferences in housing ownership and living conditions in Tartu, Estonia, in the Sovi et period. We use individual-level data from the 1989 census and multivariate analysis. Our analysis shows that, first, non-Estonians had better access ta state housing than Estonians. The ethnic di.fferences decrease, but remain significant when controlling for compositional di.fferences. Second, it appears that Estonians had more living space, while non-Estonians lived in more comfortable conditions. Di.fferences in housing ownership and population composition explain most af the ethnic di.fferences in housing size, but the di.fferences in housingfacilities remain. We argue that both the state policy and the di.fferent traditions and values were responsible for the housing di.fferences between Estonians and non-Estonians in Tartu during the Soviet period. The role af the pre-WWII legacy should be considered as well.

The formation of the Finnish settlement in Russia began in the 17th century, when a large group of Finnish peasants from East Finland moved to Ingria in Northwest Russia. The Finnish settlement was well‑established in Russia by the end of the 19th century and the population numbered 143,000. Yet, the economic and political changes in the Soviet Union in the 1930s and WWII struck a severe blow to the Finnish settlement and traditions. As a result, the number of Finns in the Soviet Union decreased by more than half during the postwar period. The size of the Finnish‑speaking population diminished even more. The changes leading to the linguistic and ethnic assimilation of Finns have taken place by generations. The older generations are mainly Finnish­ speakers and carry Finnish traditions, but the younger generations are Rus­sian‑ (or Estonian‑) speakers and are weakly tied to Finnish traditions. Behind the generational differences was the socialization environment shaped by the Soviet nationality policy. The Finnish‑speaking schools that were supported in the 1920s and early 1930s strengthened the Finnish identity of Soviet Finns grown up at that time. The prohibition of the Finnish‑speaking educational and cultural life since the late 1930s, in turn, weakened the Finnish identity of those born later. Thus, the changes in the vitality of the Finnish diaspora in the Soviet Union during the post‑WWII period mostly followed the changes in the number of Finns born and grown up before the war.

A number of studies show that premarital cohabitation is associated with an increased risk of subsequent marital dissolution. Some argue that this is a consequence of selection effects and that once these are controlled for premarital cohabitation has no effect on dissolution. We examine the effect of premarital cohabitation on subsequent marital dissolution by using rich retrospective life-history data from Austria. We model union formation and dissolution jointly to control for unobserved selectivity of cohabiters and non-cohabiters. Our results show that those who cohabit prior to marriage have a higher risk of marital dissolution. However, once observed and unobserved characteristics are controlled for, the risks of marital dissolution for those who cohabit prior to marriage are significantly lower than for those who marry directly. The finding that premarital cohabitation decreases the risk of marital separation provides support for the "trial marriage" theory.

This study examines fertility variation across different residential contexts in four Northern European countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. We move beyond the conventional urban-rural focus of most previous studies of within-nation variations in fertility by distinguishing between urban centres and suburbs of cities and towns. We base our study on aggregate and individual-level register data and our analysis shows that fertility levels are significantly higher in suburbs than in urban centres; this pattern has persisted over the past quarter of a century for all four countries. A parity-specific analysis of Swedish register data reveals that total fertility varies between central cities and suburbs due to the relatively high first- and second-birth propensities in the suburbs. Further analysis shows that fertility variation between the central cities and suburbs persists after controlling for women's socioeconomic characteristics. We discuss the role of various factors in accounting for high suburban fertility including omitted individual characteristics, contextual factors and selective residential moves of couples planning to have a child.

This study examines fertility variation across housing types and childbearing patterns after housing changes. While the effect of family changes on housing choices has been studied in detail, little is known about childbearing patterns within various housing types, despite the fact that many studies suggest housing as an important determinant of fertility. We use longitudinal register data from Finland and apply hazard regression. Firstly, we observe a significant variation in the fertility levels across housing types - fertility is highest among couples in single-family houses and lowest among those in apartments, with the variation remaining significant even after controlling for the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of women. Secondly, our results show elevated fertility levels after couples have changed their housing, suggesting that much of the fertility variation across housing types could be attributed to selective moves. Thirdly, the study also reveals relatively a high risk of third birth for couples in single-family houses several years after the move, suggesting that living in spacious housing and in a family-friendly environment for a longer time may lead to higher fertility.

This article is an introduction to Special Collection 6 of Demographic Research whose articles investigate the interrelations between the family and migration behaviour of individuals in industrialised countries. We first review the life-course approach and previous research on the interplay between family change and migration. We then describe the contribution of the articles in the collection. This is followed by a discussion of selected issues raised in the papers and an outline of future research avenues. We argue that the life-course approach and event-history analysis offer a fruitful framework to examine how individuals simultaneously structure their family lives and residential trajectories, and thus shape demographic change in society.

Previous studies show that family migration is usually to the benefit of the man's professional career and that it has a negative impact on the woman's economic well-being and employment. This study extends previous research by examining the effect of family migration on union dissolution. We use the event-history data of two retrospective surveys from Russia and apply hazard regression. The analysis shows that couples who move frequently over long distances have a significantly higher risk of union dissolution than couples who do not move or move only once. Our further analysis reveals that the risk of disruption for frequent movers is high when the migrant woman has a job. Frequent migrants had a high risk of union dissolution during the Soviet period but they faced no such risk during the post-Soviet socio-economic transition. We argue that frequent moving increases union instability through a variety of mechanisms, the effect of which may vary across socio-economic contexts.