Our study demonstrates that multigenerational households--the traditional and the most dominant form of living arrangement in India--have protective health benefits for older adults, while taking into account potential selection mechanisms. On Contrary to some epidemiological studies, we do not find any elevated risk of exposure to short-term illness, when older adults are living in households with young grandchildren.
Using data from the Jiangsu Fertility Intention and Behavior Study (JFIBS), this study examines multidimensional influences of intergenerational ties on married women’s intended and ideal family size in Jiangsu Province, China, an extremely low-fertility setting. Our results suggest that preference for a grandson and a granddaughter, and a woman’s willingness to take advice from the parental generation promotes fertility motivation. In addition, potential (or actual) childcare provision from grandparents shifts fertility intention upward. Some family influences (e.g. family size of origin) tend to be more salient from parents-in-law than from parents, reflecting the patrilineal and patriarchal tradition in China. At the same time, we do not find any pronatalistic effect of co-residence with parents or parents-in-law.
Objective:
We examine the combined effects of living arrangements and outmigration of adult children on rural older adults’ health profiles, measured by biomarker data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study 2011.
Method:
We employ biomarker data and propensity score analysis which allows us to effectively deal with selection issues that are commonly observed in the literature.
Results:
We show complex health implications of living arrangements and offspring migration. Living in a traditional multigenerational household has limited health benefits to older adults. However, older parents of migrants who live in a multigenerational household have better fitness in blood pressure. Their advantage over parents of migrants in other living arrangements suggests added benefits of the presence of grandchildren.
Discussion:
This study bridges the living arrangement and migration literature on health by showing that health effects of adult children’s migration on older adults are contingent upon their living arrangements.
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