Eurobarometer 37.2 (Apr-May 1992)

The social and financial situation of older people in Europe.

Topics: Citizenship and eligibility to vote at place of residence;
contentment with life; postmaterialism; general areas of interest;
educational goals; preferred term for older people; changes of respect
shown with increasing age; attitude to age and growing old (scale);
discrimination experienced due to age by public agencies, media, family
members as well as in the utilization of services; extent of activity
in the course of the day; selected activities during the last week;
frequency of meeting with family members or friends; extent of contact
with young people and desired increase of this contact; extent of
feelings of loneliness; honorary activities in social organizations;
readiness to join a party in support of older people; interest in
information related to the ´European Year of the Elders and Solidarity
between the Generations´; preference for government, financial support
or for special rates for older people; description of one´s own
financial situation; reasons for the feeling of financial security or
insecurity; regret about a missed supplementary pension contribution;
satisfactory situation after retirement permitting advance planning;
impact of longer-term illnesses and disabilities; utilization of
regular care and help; care by family members, friends, social services
or welfare organizations; preferred contacts in need of help.

Demography: marital status; number of children; size of household;
sex; age; age at end of education; possession of durable economic
goods; residential status; degree of urbanization; religiousness;
entitlement to pensions and employment during retirement; desire for
further employment after retirement; age at start of retirement;
earlier or current occupational activity; employment in the civil
service or private enterprise (company sector); self-classification of
social class affiliation; self-classification on a left-right
continuum; monthly household income; city size; region.

Indices: postmaterialism.

Interviewer rating: presence of other persons during interview;
willingness of respondent to cooperate.

Also encoded were: date of interview; start of interview and length of
interview.