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Do intergenerational support and socioeconomic status impact mental health of older adults in China? A Case from Shaanxi Province

Chi Zhang, School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University

Abstract: With the deepening of aging in China, the older adults population in China will reach 264 million by the end of 2020, making China the country with the largest older adults population in the world. The current family structure presents the characteristics of miniaturization and separation of living modes. Based on data collected from a sample survey of the older adults in three cities of Shaanxi Province, China in 2019, this study empirically analyzed the effects of child support and socioeconomic status on mental health of the older adults by means of logistic regression model, and discussed the possible mechanisms. The study concluded that the higher the children's support to the older adults (spiritual support, material support), the higher the mental health of the older adults, the higher the social and economic status of the older adults, especially the better the medical insurance and income level, the higher the mental health of the older adults. The factors influencing the mental health of the older adults in urban and rural areas are different, mainly due to the economic level and the status of vocational education before retirement.

Keywords: Health and morbidity, Older adults, Big data / Social media, Population ageing

See paper.

  Presented in Session P12.