Gender Difference in the Expectation and Receipt of Filial Piety Among U.S Chinese Older Adults

Abstract

<p><strong>Background: </strong>Filial piety is a fundamental virtue that defines children’s care-giving obligation to older parents in Chinese families. This study aims to evaluate whether gender difference exists in the expectation and receipt of filial piety among U.S Chinese older adults. <strong>Methods: </strong>Data were drawn from the PINE study, a population-based study of U.S. Chinese older adults aged 60 and above in the greater Chicago area. Guided by a community-based participatory research approach, a total of 3,159 Chinese older adults aged 60 and above were surveyed. Filial piety was examined in six domains, including care, respect, greeting, happiness, obedience, and financial support.<strong> </strong>Socio-demographic correlates with expectations and receipt of filial piety were examined. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted.<strong> Results: </strong>Female older adults were 1.02 points higher than male older adults in their perceived receipt of filial piety (PE=1.02, p<0.001) adjusted for the socio-demographics. Older women received more respect (p<0.001), greetings (p<0.001), happiness (p<0.01), and obedience (p<0.05). Women with an older age (r = 0.06, p<0.05) and a lower educational level (r = -0.11, p<0.01) received more filial piety while similar trends were not discovered among men. Being married was correlated with a higher level of filial piety receipt among men (r = 0.07. p<0.05) while the correlation was not significant among women.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This study provides insights to understand how the gender of the older parents influences their expectation and receipt of filial piety. Our findings have important implications to guide elder care practices with cultural and gender sensitivity.</p>

The Association Between Filial Discrepancy and Depressive Symptoms: Findings From a Community-Dwelling Chinese Aging Population

“…The scores of each domain were then summed up and the aggregate score ranged from 6 to 30, with higher scores indicating greater filial piety expectations or filial piety receipt. The internal consistency reliability of filial piety scale in the present study was 0.88 (29,30).…”

Chinese Immigrant Women's Attitudes and Beliefs About Family Involvement in Women's Health and Healthcare: A Qualitative Study in Chicago's Chinatown

“… 11–14 This dearth of studies is surprising, given widely accepted cultural perspectives tracing back to Confucianism with regard to gender/family roles and relationships in caregiving, such as traditional three-generational households, women as caretakers of the family, and filial piety (obligation of children to respect and caregive for aging parents). 14–17 But with evolving Chinese family structures, filial expectations, and practices of care provision, 7 , 13 , 18–20 ongoing research is needed. Prior studies among U.S. Chinese immigrants have primarily documented expectations of family support for elder care and chronic medical conditions, yet few studies have focused specifically on the roles of the spouse and adult children in Chinese immigrant women's overall health and healthcare.…”

Filial piety expectations and loneliness among older people in Kuantan, Pahang

“…This was because older people prevented themselves from getting disappointments with their adult children. 11 In contrast to other studies that found no association between age and filial piety expectation, 20,28 age is a factor that relates to how older people expect filial piety from their children. The increase in age is significantly associated with filial piety expectations.…”