Changes in geographic proximity between parents and their adult children

We examine how characteristics of both parents and their adult children condition the changes in intergenerational geographic proximity. Using panel data from the US National Survey of Families and Households, we employ multinomial logistic regression techniques to examine the impact of the joint effects of each generation's structural characteristics on the likelihood of changes in distance between the target persons. Our results show that an increase in functional limitations is the most consistent predictor of geographic convergence between elderly parents and their adult children. The onset of widowhood during the observation period leads to a greater likelihood of living with an adult child. Furthermore, our analyses show that the economic status and marital status of adult children is associated with changes in geographic proximity. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.