Theo G Van Tilburg

Biographic Data

ID148076
NAMETheo G Van Tilburg
GIVEN NAMESTheo G
FAMILY NAMEVan Tilburg
SIGNATUREVAN TILBURG T G
AFFILIATIONSVrije Universiteit Amsterdam
ORCID0000-0002-1005-6732
VERIFIEDYes
TOTAL WORKS99
TOTAL CITATIONS859
AUTHOR COUNT99
EDITOR COUNT0
FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR1991
LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR2025
H-INDEX17

  • The Translation of Intergenerational Care Potential Into Care Receipt of Older Parents: A Prospective Study

    Open AccessYing Shen, Theo G Van Tilburg et al.ARTICLEResearch on Aging2025

    This study prospectively examined the extent to which intergenerational care potential translated into parent’s care receipt. Data were from 510 parents (aged 70–97 years at baseline) who reported on their 1496 adult children in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, with seven observations over ten years. Joint care potential considered the number of children and their care potential types. Children with high care potential lived nearby, had fr…

  • Social connectedness in older adults: The potential of social internet use to maintain a strong and stable personal network

    Open AccessJeroen H M Janssen, Theo G Van Tilburg et al.ARTICLEThe Journals of Gerontology…2025Cited by: 1References: 8

    Social internet use may help maintain a strong and stable network, which is important for social connectedness in later life. It allows for additional interaction opportunities, as well as network maintenance and growth. Social internet use thus proves to be a valuable addition to the social interaction resources of older adults

  • Relationship Difficulty Is Associated With Poorer Mental Health in Later Life

    Open AccessL Ellwardt, Theo G Van Tilburg et al.ARTICLEThe Journals of Gerontology…2025References: 15

    Objectives Integration into social networks is an important promotor of well-being and aging healthily, yet the dark side of social networks includes encounters with network members that are perceived as unpleasant, demanding, or difficult. This study investigates the association of relationship difficulty in older adults’ core networks with the mental health outcomes of loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Methods Survey data were collected from…

  • The ties that bother: Difficult relationships in the personal networks of older adults

    Open AccessL Ellwardt, Theo G Van TilburgARTICLESocial Networks2025References: 11

    Theorizations of social exchanges often assume that people prefer interactions with supportive others but avoid others they perceive as demanding or difficult. Yet, many social relationships are ambivalent, i.e., entail a combination of positive and negative interactions. We refer to difficult relationships as ties with an equal and high share of both elements or ties where the net balance of these two elements is outweighed by negativity. This s…

  • The Impact of Stepfamily Structure on Older Parents’ Frequency of Contact With and Care Receipt From Adult Biological and Stepchildren in the Netherlands

    Open AccessSuzan Van Der Pa, Theo G Van Tilburg et al.ARTICLEThe Journals of Gerontology…2025Cited by: 1References: 2

    Objectives Older people are increasingly entering their later years in stepfamilies. Because adult children play a central role in older parents’ support networks, there is concern that the generally weaker intergenerational ties found in stepfamilies may imply an impending deficit in the care available to stepparents. It is currently unclear whether there are differences across stepfamily types including stepfamilies with only biological childre…

  • The overlooked role of place attachment in loneliness: An investigation among old people

    Open AccessTheo G Van Tilburg, Jolien Klok et al.ARTICLEHealth & Place2025Cited by: 4References: 11

    The relationship people have with the place they live has an impact on loneliness. Feelings of connection, rootedness and meaning are seen as fundamental to the association between place attachment and loneliness. This article investigates whether a stronger attachment to place is associated with less loneliness, in addition to known predictors in the field of social integration and health. Place attachment has two dimensions, namely the personal…

  • Parental care among only children in China: Motivation, provision, and experiences

    Open AccessYing Shen, Ruxandra Oana Ciobanu et al.ARTICLEJournal of Social and Personal…2025Cited by: 1References: 45

    Being the only child in the family means concentrated responsibilities for parental care. This study presents findings from 23 semi-structured interviews with Chinese only children, exploring their care motivation, provision, and experiences within the context of Chinese filial piety and social change. We developed a typology by examining how Chinese only children responded to their parents' care needs and why they provided care (or chose not to)…

  • Age and Gender Identity in the Relationship Between Minority Stress and Loneliness: A Global Sample of Sexual and Gender Minority Adults

    Open AccessEddy Elmer, Eddy M Elmer et al.ARTICLEThe Journal of Sex Research2024Cited by: 1References: 16

    Loneliness is prevalent among sexual minority adults and is associated with minority stress. Yet there is limited understanding of how loneliness and minority stress vary across key demographic variables. This cross-sectional study explored age and gender differences in a minority stress model linking sexual orientation marginalization to social and emotional loneliness via proximal stress (internalized homonegativity, concealment, and stigma pre…

  • We love it here and there: Turkish Alevi older migrants' belonging to places

    Open AccessJolien Klok, Theo Van Tilburg et al.ARTICLESocial & Cultural Geography2024Cited by: 4References: 47

    This paper investigates belonging among Turkish Alevi older migrants during their stays in the origin country. The few studies that cover belonging among older migrants primarily examined belonging within the confines of host countries. As substantial amounts of time are spent in origin countries, migrants’ life worlds are thus only partially studied. Furthermore, the importance of context for belonging is thereby insufficiently acknowledged. Ant…

  • The concepts and measurement of social isolation and loneliness

    Open AccessTheo G Van Tilburg, Jenny De Jong GierveldCHAPTERLoneliness and Social Isolation…2023

    Social isolation and loneliness both have to do with social embeddedness, describing them, respectively, as an objective fact and as a subjective experience of the individual. There is a lack of theoretical elaboration of the concept of social isolation, and often, it is defined and measured ad hoc. Loneliness is a well-developed theoretical concept, and measurement tools with good measurement properties are available. The outcomes and determinan…

  • Gender Differences in Social Embeddedness Determinants of Loneliness Among Moroccan and Turkish Older Migrants

    Open AccessRowan L F ten Kate, Tineke Fokkema et al.ARTICLEThe Journals of Gerontology…2023References: 3

    Family ties are more protective against loneliness for older men than for older women, possibly indicating that migrant women's expectations regarding family go above and beyond having a spouse, receiving intergenerational care, or having frequent contact with children. In addition, migrant older men's higher expectations regarding a public social life could make their social life in the Netherlands less fulfilling, resulting in greater lonelines…

  • Subjective well‐being of older migrants in the Netherlands: A conceptual and methodological discussion

    Open AccessNina Conkova, Tineke Fokkema et al.ARTICLEInternational Migration2023References: 3

    Social policy is most effective when evidence‐based. In this research, we scrutinise 11 surveys to produce evidence on the subjective well‐being (SWB) of older migrants in the Netherlands. The descriptive analysis and literature review revealed that the study of the diversity among older migrants is hindered by several factors, including the inclusion of a limited number of distinct migrant groups, their almost exclusive comparison to non‐migrant…

  • Exploring Health Trends Prior to State Pension Age for The Netherlands up to 2040

    Open AccessMaaike van der Noordt, Johan J Polder et al.ARTICLEInternational Journal of…2022

    This study's explorations suggest that a substantial share of people will be in moderate or poor health and, thus, may have difficulty continuing working. Policy aiming at sustainable employability will, therefore, remain important, even in the case of the most favorable scenario

  • Changes in structure and function of social networks of independently living middle-aged and older adults in diverse sociodemographic subgroups during the Covid-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study

    Open AccessLisanne CJ Steijvers, Stephanie Brinkhues et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2022

    Background Social networks, i.e., all social relationships that people have, contribute to well-being and health. Governmental measures against COVID-19 were explicitly aimed to decrease physical social contact. We evaluated ego-centric social network structure and function, and changes therein, among various sociodemographic subgroups before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Independently living Dutch adults aged 40 years and older parti…

  • Social position of older immigrants in the Netherlands: Where do immigrants perceive themselves on the societal ladder

    Open AccessSilvia Klokgieters, Silvia S Klokgieters et al.ARTICLEJournal of Cross-Cultural…2022References: 41

    Older Turkish and Moroccan immigrants are often ascribed a low social position based on their relatively unfavourable educational level, occupational status and income. Yet immigrants emigrated to improve their social position and came from contexts where determinants of social position might be based on different socio-cultural circumstances than those used in the country of settlement. In order to understand immigrants’ own perception of their …

  • Minority Stress and Loneliness in a Global Sample of Sexual Minority Adults: The Roles of Social Anxiety, Social Inhibition, and Community Involvement

    Open AccessEddy Elmer, Eddy M Elmer et al.ARTICLEArchives of Sexual Behavior2022Cited by: 5References: 172

    Research suggests that loneliness among sexual minority adults is associated with marginalization, but it is unclear which processes may underlie this relationship. This cross-sectional study examined five possibilities: stigma preoccupation, internalized homonegativity, sexual orientation concealment, social anxiety, and social inhibition. The study also examined the possible protective role of LGBTQ community involvement. Respondents were 7856 …

  • Emotional, Social, and Existential Loneliness Before and During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Prevalence and Risk Factors Among Dutch Older Adults

    Open AccessTheo G Van Tilburg, Jessica KelleyARTICLEThe Journals of Gerontology…2021Cited by: 7References: 6

    Loneliness increased for almost all older people. Targeted policies can reduce the negative impact of vulnerabilities. Efforts to combat loneliness during the pandemic should focus not only on groups traditionally considered vulnerable, such as socially isolated people, but also on older adults with a partner and who have daily contact with others

  • Why do spouses provide personal care? A study among care‐receiving Dutch community‐dwelling older adults

    Open AccessJoukje Swinkels, Theo G Van Tilburg et al.ARTICLEHealth & Social Care in the…2021Cited by: 2References: 6

    This study investigates under what conditions older spouses receive personal care from their spouse. Whether spousal care is provided is determined by individual and societal factors related to informal and formal care provision. Individual factors concern the need for care (the care recipient's health status), the spouse's ability to provide care (the spouse's health status) and the quality of the marital bond. Societal factors reflect changing …

  • Niet-gehuwde ouderen: Zijn zij tegenwoordig sociaal beter af

    Theo Van Tilburg, Theo G Van Tilburg et al.ARTICLEMens & Maatschappij2020

    Amsterdam University Press is a leading publisher of academic books, journals and textbooks in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Our aim is to make current research available to scholars, students, innovators, and the general public. AUP stands for scholarly excellence, global presence, and engagement with the international academic community

  • Comparing generations of migrants’ transnational behaviour: The role of the transnational convoy and integration

    Open AccessJolien Klok, Theo G Van Tilburg et al.ARTICLEComparative Migration Studies2020Cited by: 7References: 16

    This paper compares generations (G1, G1.5, G2, G3) of male Turkish migrants to Europe in their transnational behaviours: contact frequency, visits, remittances, property ownership and voting. We aim to explain differences by generational differences in transnational convoy size and integration into residence countries. Data from 798 members of migrant families were obtained from 2000 Families . Generations differ in visiting, remitting, property …

  • Loneliness in Later Life and Reaching Longevity: Findings From the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam

    Open AccessLloyd Brandts, Theo G Van Tilburg et al.ARTICLEThe Journals of Gerontology…2020References: 6

    The current analyses did not show support for the existence of a meaningful effect of loneliness on reaching longevity in both sexes. When investigating specific dimensions of loneliness, we observed that reporting social loneliness was associated with reaching 90 years in women. This indicates that, for women, a large and diverse personal network at an older age could increase the probability of reaching longevity. However, replication of our fi…

  • Loneliness and Mental Health During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Study Among Dutch Older Adults

    Open AccessTheo G Van Tilburg, Stephanie Steinmetz et al.ARTICLEThe Journals of Gerontology…2020Cited by: 38References: 4

    The consequences of long-term social isolation and well-being must be closely monitored

  • Trends in working conditions and health across three cohorts of older workers in 1993, 2003 and 2013: A cross-sequential study

    Open AccessMaaike van der Noordt, H J Hordijk et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2019

    Changes in working conditions may not contribute to improved physical and psychological functioning, but do contribute to improved cognitive functioning to some extent. Further adjustment of physical work demands and psychosocial work resources may help to reach sustainable employability of older workers

  • The Linkage Between Aging, Migration, and Resilience: Resilience in the Life of Older Turkish and Moroccan Immigrants

    Open AccessSilvia Klokgieters, Silvia S Klokgieters et al.ARTICLEThe Journals of Gerontology…2019Cited by: 3References: 12

    The study illustrates a link between conditions across life stages, migration, and resilience. Resilient immigrants are better able to accumulate financial and social and other resources across life stages, whereas less resilient immigrants lose access to resources in different life stages

  • Social network type and informal care use in later life: A comparison of three Dutch birth cohorts aged 75–84

    Open AccessBianca Suanet, Marjolein I Broese Van Groenou et al.ARTICLEAgeing and Society2019Cited by: 1References: 41

    Recent societal changes have increased the salience of non-kin relationships. It can be questioned whether network types that are more strongly non-kin-based give more informal care nowadays. We study how informal care use differs according to network type for three birth cohorts. Data from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) on older adults aged 75–84 years, interviewed in 1992, 2002 and 2012, respectively (total sample size N = 2,151,…