FAMILY DEPENDENCE AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH SELF-REPORTED HEALTH AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN EASTERN NEPAL

Abstract

Abstract Historically, filial piety (caring for one’s parents) has been prevalent in Nepal. The demographic transition has resulted in a burgeoning population of older adults, but limited institutional support is available to address their socio-economical and health needs. As such, the family has remained the paramount source of support to meet the health, social and economic needs of Nepali older adults. In this study, we explored the relationship between family dependency (conceptualized as the source of family support) and self-reported health among Nepali older adults. A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in two districts (Sunsari and Morang) of eastern Nepal. Using a multistage cluster random sampling design 847 older adults (≥ 60 years) were interviewed. Self-reported health was assessed in terms of a five-item Likert scale dichotomized into poor and good health. Two independent variables of interest were dependency on family for living and for daily activities. Binary logistic regression drew the inferences while adjusting for important confounders. About 29.4% of the participants reported poor health, 77% reported dependency on family for living and 46% reported dependency for daily activities. Those dependent on family for living had 46% higher odds of good health but the statistical significance was lost after adjusting for control variables. Likewise, those dependent on family for daily activities were three times more likely (OR: 3.22; 95%CI: 2.15 - 4.83) to report good health than their counterparts after controlling for confounders. Our findings emphasize the importance of family support for the health of older adults in Nepal.