Transitions in Marital Status and Functional Health and Patterns of Intergenerational Coresidence Among China's Elderly Population

Abstract

Transitions from marriage to widowhood are consequential and fraught with risk in developing country contexts. We investigate whether transitions to widowhood, as well as transitions to worsened functional health, predict transition into coresidential living arrangements with children in a rapidly aging China. We also inquire whether coresidence transitions vary by older adults’ gender and the presence of grandchildren in skip generation households. Longitudinal prospective analyses of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Surveys (1998–2005) assess whether transition to widowhood and transition to relatively poor functional health influence elderly coresidence with children. Several logistic regression models are estimated using robust standard error estimation to address data clustering at the person level. When coresidence shifts occur, they are shaped by the needs of older adults. Specifically, a significant rise in coresidential living follows widowhood as well as deterioration in functional health. Among older adults coresiding with grandchildren, shifts to coresidence with own children following widowhood and worsened functional health are attenuated, suggesting that skip generation households may be supportive arrangements for older adults. Results are interpreted in light of the adaptability of living arrangements, novel forms such as skip generation households, and intergenerational support for China's elderly population.