Living arrangements, patrilineality and sources of support among elderly Vietnamese

Abstract

This study examined social support for the elderly in Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City and Hanoi, Viet Nam, in 1996. The sample included the main towns and provinces surrounding the cities. Two major findings were that the family was the main source of social security for the elderly. Almost 75% of the elderly in Hanoi, and 80% in HCM City, lived with at least 1 adult child. Parents were more likely to live with a married son. Most of the remaining elderly lived in close proximity to adult children. Over 50% of the elderly lived in households with at least 3 generations, regardless of their location in the north or the south. Older elderly were more likely to live in 3-generation households. 5-6% of the elderly lived alone or with a spouse and did not live near an adult child. Living alone was more prevalent in rural areas and among women. In both regions, almost 60% were female and over 50% were aged under 70 years. 56.6-61.8% were currently married; 37.3-38.1% were widowed. The elderly functioned within a strong patrilineal system. The proportion of male children who lived with a parent divided by the proportion of female children living with a parent (patrilineal ratio) was at least 3 times higher in Hanoi, urban towns, and rural areas in the Red River Delta, than in HCM City and its environs. There was substantial variation in non-family support. A higher proportion of elderly in Hanoi received pensions and social welfare benefits. The elderly in the south were less likely to name themselves or their spouses as the main sources of family income.