Handgrip strength is seen as a powerful predictor of mortality across individuals. However, there is no research evidence about the levels and predictive ability of grip strength for mortality in Russian populations compared to the predictive ability of grip strength of other European populations, e.g. in England and Denmark. In England life expectancy levels are close to the EU average, while grip strength levels are slightly above EU average. Denmark has a below-average life expectancy level across EU countries, but it is one of the countries with the highest grip strength scores.

To help societies in Europe combat their decreasing fertility rates, many see the immigrant populations as a potential solution to help alleviate the situation. However, this is not always reality. In a recent study, Allan Puur and colleagues give some evidence by examining childbearing behaviours of Russians in Estonia.

Most welfare states in Europe have taken measures to make their public pension systems more sustainable, not only by increasing the retirement age but also by placing additional responsibility on individuals to close the pension gap through personal savings and private pension plans. A cross-national study by Douglas A. Hershey, Kne Henkens and Hendrik P. van Dalen investigates who worries most about their financial future in retirement and who takes active steps to ensure an adequate standard of living when retired.  

Los modelos familiares tradicionales están perdiendo popularidad en Europa. Un ejemplo de ello es que cada vez más y más personas viven juntas sin casarse. La cohabitación tiene diferentes significados para cada persona y los motivos por los que se opta por esta forma familiar son distintos. ¿Influyen dichos motivos sobre las metas de fecundidad? En un reciente estudio llevado a cabo por Nicole Hiekel y Teresa Castro-Martín, se examina la relación existente entre las diferentes perspectivas de cohabitación y la intención de tener un hijo.

Traditional family patterns are losing popularity in Europe. One example of this is the fact that more and more people are living together without getting married. Cohabitation means different things to different people, and people choose this family arrangement for various reasons. Do these reasons influence their fertility intentions? In a recent study, Nicole Hiekel and Teresa Castro-Martin examine how the different meanings of cohabitation and the intention to have a child are intertwined.