To What Extent Do Young Adults Meet the Five Needs for Independence? A Latent Class Analysis

Abstract

Young adults determined five needs which must be met to transition to adulthood: support, housing, study and work, income, and well-being. This study aimed to identify and describe subgroups of young adults and determine to what extent they meet the needs for independence, and to assess relations between subgroups and demographic characteristics. We conducted secondary data analysis of a population-based questionnaire, which included 2291 young adults (M age = 20.8 years, 71% female) living in South Limburg, the Netherlands. We adopted a person-centred approach, that is, latent class analysis, and identified four classes: Thriving (39%), Lacking support and well-being (29%), Widely struggling (18%) and Financially challenged (14%). Females and non-university students/graduates had higher odds of being members of the least thriving classes. Future research should focus on how support and cumulative disadvantage affect later life outcomes. We should broaden community, educational and institutional support systems to encourage and sustain meaningful relationships.