Functional limitation and happiness among older adults: the multiple mediating role of intergenerational support and intergenerational relationship

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the relationship between the functional limitation and happiness among Chinese older people and examined the multiple mediating effects of intergenerational support (instrumental support and financial support) and intergenerational relationship.MethodData was drawn from the Chinese Family Panel Survey (CFPS) 2018 and 2020. Structural equation modeling was adopted to analyze the association among functional limitations, intergenerational support, intergenerational relationship, and the older adults happiness.ResultsThere was a significant association between the functional limitations and the lower happiness levels among the older adults. The instrumental support from adult children positively mediated the relationship between the functional limitation and the happiness. However, intergenerational relationships were reduced due to the dysfunction of the older adults, and played a negatively mediated role between the functional limitation and the happiness. In addition, instrumental and financial support play chain-mediating roles between functional limitation and happiness in older adults through intergenerational relationships.ConclusionIntergenerational relationships and instrumental support enhance the happiness of older adults with functional impairments, but their role is limited by the changing structure of modern families. Long-term care programs combined with the intergenerational support from families for people with functional impairments in old age would be more effective to reduce the burden on adult children and maintain the quality of life of the older adults.

Socio-Demographic Determinants and Psychosocial Factors Influencing Mobility Limitations in Aging: Insights from a National Health Survey

“…Research indicates that the highest rates of limitations in both categories are recorded in groups with low education levels, including those with no formal education, incomplete primary school, or only basic education. These results support previous research that also identified similar connections between low education and increased frequency of functional limitations in older individuals [5,[9][10][11][12][13][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. It is clear that education plays a crucial role in maintaining functionality in older age, with higher education providing certain advantages that reduce the risk of walking limitations.…”

“…One often noted factor associated with physical activity in older adults is gender, with studies suggesting that women are less inclined towards physical activity compared to men [4,5,[10][11][12][13][21][22][23][24]. Reduced physical activity in women may increase the risk of various health problems, including the more frequent occurrence of chronic diseases and the risk of falls.…”

“…Our research results indicate that in both investigated task categories -walking half a kilometer on flat ground without any assistance and climbing or descending 12 stairs -the percentage of women reporting "with great difficulty" and "not able to" is almost double compared to men. It is important to note that differences in the level of physical activity among older adults are not simply a result of one factor; physical, psychological, social, cultural, and environmental factors all play a role in shaping behavior towards physical activity [5,[21][22][23][24].…”