The study population comprised 4160 individuals from Germany, Belgium, France, and Italy. The characteristics of the study population are described in Table 1. Overall, 2389 (57%) were women; 1414 (34%) were aged 65 to 69, and 2709 (65%) were living maritally. A majority (2938, 70%) were home owners, while 1253 (30%) showed signs of social precariousness including low income, and 1159 (27%) had a low level of education.
A Principal Components Analysis was performed based on questions 1,7, 8, 10, 14, 19, 34, 36 as active variables, while socio-demographic variables and questions 1, 3, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 19, 21, 24, 25, 33,34, 35, 36, 37,38 were used as illustrative variables. The Principal Components Analysis identified six well-defined groups whose main characteristics are described below and in Table 2:
Group 1 (N = 994; 23%): Mainly Belgian, well-off males with a high level of education. They are fond of their lodgings, furniture and personal belongings. They enjoy life and are confident in the future. This first group mainly prefers to stay at home, adapting their residence to meet their evolving needs rather than sharing accommodation with others.
Group 2 (N = 786; 19%): Belgians and Germans, single, flexible and young. Their satisfaction with, and fondness for their residence are of lesser magnitude than in Group 1. They are willing to move to accommodation that is more suitable for their physical capacity. This group is also characterised by loneliness, and less contact with those around them. This prompts some people to start a new life, seek to please, and engage in romantic relationships. They are less confident in the future due to a more pronounced anticipation of future dependency.
Group 3 (N = 1014, 24%): Mainly German and well-off, with well-developed social fabric, living maritally and able to rely on their children. They are happy and satisfied, both physically and mentally. They feel younger than their age. They are independent and life is a pleasure to them. As in Group 1, they are fond of their home, their furniture and their habits. This explains their preference to adapt their current accommodation to their changing needs rather than moving house.
Group 4 (N = 187, 5%): Mainly German with low income, young, and fragile in both social and human terms, these elderly people cannot rely on their spouse. They are not fulfilled, either mentally or physically. Life is a source of pleasure for only 65% of this group, compared to 78% on average. In this group, income was lower than average. They were often in rented accommodation, and less attached to their residence and their habits. Consequently, they were willing to change accommodation if it will mean better living conditions, and 50% of them would envision living in a nursing home.
Group 5 (N = 470, 25%): Of Italian origin, socially isolated, female, elderly. They have limited financial resources and a low level of education. They suffer from social precariousness, with few friends on whom they can count, and also physical problems that render them dependent (48%). The majority of those in this group do not consider life to be a source of pleasure, and they have less confidence in the future. They would be willing to move house and region for an accommodation that is more suited to their physical state, because they feel little attachment to their furniture, personal belongings and daily habits.
Group 6 (N = 709, 17%): Mainly Italian, mainly fond of their residence, predominantly women (72%). This group presents some similarities with Group 5, in that they are dependent and isolated. The elderly in this group do not feel physically and mentally fulfilled. They cannot save money due to their relatively low income. Only 38% of them feel confident in the future. Contrarily to the isolated Italians in Group 5, those in Group 6 are very attached to their habits, their furniture and their home, and consequently, are not willing to move.
The profiles of French respondents were neutral, and did not belong to any of the six well-distinguished groups identified above.
The profiles of European elders are presented in Figure 1.