Gender Patterns of Eldercare in China

Abstract

Using the baseline wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), collected from 2011 to 2012, this study finds that among those age 60 and above, women are 7.6 percent more likely than men to have care needs, women are 29.3 percent more likely than men to have unmet needs, and most of the gender gap in unmet needs is explained by the existence and health status of a spouse. Further analysis reveals a sharp gender division in patterns of family care in China. While men are more likely to receive care from their wives, women are primarily cared for by their children. Marital status and the health of the spouses also matters for provision of care, with infirm women who have healthy husbands less likely to receive care than infirm men with healthy wives. The findings have important implications for designing gender-sensitive policies in eldercare.

Elderly Care Provision and the Impact on Caregiver Health in China

“…The differences by gender in self-reported health, depression, and physical pain are signifi cant at the 90 percent level (Table 8). According to our model and Hypothesis 3, a possible reason for these outcomes may be that females can provide care with high quality and tend to provide care at a higher frequency (Chen et al, 2018;Chen et al, 2019). We fi nd evidence to support Hypothesis 3.…”

Intergenerational co-residence and young couple’s time use in China

“…Traditionally, married children live with their parents to provide care and support in China. 90% of adults in need of adult care were looked after by their family members in 2011 (Chen et al 2018). In addition to the specific cultural value of filial piety and the social and legal pressure to act following these norms, the demand for informal adult care is also intensified due to inadequate state services.…”

Health and marital status of older Chinese couples and implications for intergenerational co-residence

“…5This is more likely to occur among wives than their husbands in China, as women tend to marry men who are older than they are, and they have a longer life expectancy at birth (78 years for women and 75 years for men; Population Reference Bureau, 2018). Moreover, many among the older generation of men in China reportedly have a range of health problems related to their use of tobacco and alcohol over the course of their lives (Chen et al , 2018), making it likely that their wives and possibly their children will be called upon to provide periods of assistance with health care.…”