SOCIAL SUPPORT AND SUCCESSFUL AGING: AN INTERGENERATIONAL COMPARISON

Abstract

The objective of the present study is to find out the intergenerational similarities and differences in social support and successful aging in joint families. The current research is based on a survey design in which data was collected from three generations (grandparents, fathers, mothers, grandchildren) living together. The final sample comprised 1080 participants with a distribution of 270 grandparents, 270 fathers, 270 mothers, and 270 grandchildren. Social support was assessed by using the MacArthur Battery of Social Support with four dimensions, including received emotional support, received instrumental support, perceived demand and criticism, and provided support. In contrast, successful aging was assessed by using the Successful Aging Scale. Findings show a strong positive relationship between received emotional support, received instrumental support, perceived demand, and criticism, and provided support and successful aging of grandparents, fathers, mothers, and grandchildren. Results also indicate significant mean differences in study variables except for instrumental support for grandparents, fathers, mothers, and grandchildren. Multi-group analysis revealed pairwise comparison for the modeled path. Findings show fathers receive greater emotional support and have better successful aging; both fathers and mothers reported greater provided support, whereas grandchildren reported receiving greater demand and criticism than other groups.