Female senior one-person households in Malaga municipality (Spain). Temporal evolution and intraurban spatial distribution.

Abstract

The number of senior women (age 75 and over) living alone has multiplied notably in the municipality of Malaga. This population group can be considered as vulnerable, since living alone may have consequences on both physical and mental health. In this research, it is accounted, firstly, on the numerical evolution of this type of household in the municipality of Malaga, based on the data from the municipal register of inhabitants. Secondly, their intraurban spatial distribution, using the Location Quotient (LQ) for this was investigated. Results indicate, on the one hand, that effectively this type of household has increased remarkably, in proportion more than the total of senior women has. On the other hand, their spatial distribution in Malaga urban tissue is not homogeneous, and the neighborhoods with overrepresentation can be largely identified with the older ones. In this regard, the identification of clusters of neighborhoods where these households are overrepresented may be useful for planning within the context of ageing in place.