The Association Between Family Support and Changes in Self-Rated Health Among Chinese Older Adults: How Living Arrangements Moderate the Association?

Abstract

ObjectivesThe study intends to investigate the association between family support and older adult health as well as the interaction between family support and living arrangements on their health. DesignCross-sectional study. Setting and ParticipantsSamples included in the final analysis (N = 11,430) come from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). MethodsMultiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the associations between family supports, multiplicative interaction of family supports and living arrangements, and self-rated health change. Subgroup analysis on disabled older adults was supplemented. ResultsOlder adult individuals who received functional support, provided financial support, and had frequent emotional communication with their children in the past year reported better self-rated health. Moreover, having frequent emotional communication with children could bring better self-rated health for the older adults living with spouses and children (ORbetter vs same = 2.765, P < .01) and empty nesters who lived without children (ORbetter vs same = 1.551, P < .05). Conclusions and ImplicationsOur findings imply that functional support and emotional support may play an increasingly important role in the health of Chinese older individuals. The interaction between emotional support and 2 living arrangements mentioned above is relevant to better health of older individuals. We advocate for culturally tailored Age-Friendly Communities augmenting the geriatric health care framework. While bolstering social support for seniors, prioritizing fundamental needs is paramount for those with disabilities.