4(30)
1
Introduction
Equality of opportunities is a non-controversial goal in a welfare economy.
One interpretation of this phrase is that the equality of opportunities
increases the more a person’s position is determined by her choices and
personal characteristics rather than by her socioeconomic background.
Intergenerational mobility – the degree of connection between parents’
and their children’s position in the society – in income and education is a
well-studied and active research field.
5
During the last years, this research
has expanded and now also includes intergenerational mobility in
unemployment (e.g., Ekhaugen, 2009), social benefit dependence (e.g.,
Antel, 1992; Edmark and Hanspers, 2012; Gottschalk, 1996) and crime
(e.g., Besemer and Farrington, 2012; Thornberry, 2009). A related area
that has not yet been studied is intergenerational sickness absence
mobility, i.e., whether sickness absence is transmitted from parents to
their children.
An intergenerational relationship in sickness absence could be explained
by several different factors, such as inheritable health, work ability, life
conditions and social norms. Irrespective of the underlying causes, a strong
intergenerational relationship is an indication of inequality of opportunities.
In this paper, we investigate whether there is intergenerational
transmission
6
of long-term sickness absence (henceforth just sickness
absence or sick leave) and whether this potential intergenerational
correlation varies depending on the level of sickness absence: is the
intergenerational transmission larger from those with high levels of sick
leave in comparison with those with lower levels? From a policy
perspective, such knowledge is interesting. Are high levels of sickness
absence among the parents a predictor of sickness absence among the
children in the future? Could future sickness absence be mitigated by early
preventative measures?
We perform the following analysis. Firstly, we investigate whether there
is any correlation between parents’ (observed while having their children
at home) and their grown-up children’s sick leave rate. Secondly, we
investigate whether the intergenerational transmission differs depending on
the parents’ own level of sick leave. Thirdly, we investigate whether there
is a correlation between the sick leave rates of children and their parents-
in-law. If this correlation is positive, it indicates that persons tend to live
with a partner who resembles their parents. Finally, in order to shed light
on the importance of social factors in contrast to joint family components
in the intergenerational transmission of sick leave, we compare biological
5
For a literature review of income and schooling mobility, see, for example,
Björklund and Jäntti (2009) and Holmlund, Lindahl and Plug (2011).
6
In this study, we focus on the correlation between parents’ and their children’s
sickness absence and we do not claim a causal relationship. However, in order to
make the text clear, we use the word transmission in the meaning of
intergenerational mobility.
