Does Distance Make Happiness? Geographic Proximity of Adult Children and the Well-being of Older Persons

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the association between the intergenerational geographic proximity of adult children and the well-being of older persons in China. Data from the 2014 wave of the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey was analyzed using probit analysis. Results reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between the geographic proximity of adult children and the well-being of older people in urban but not rural areas. Older adults who live independently but with adult children living close by have significantly higher life satisfaction than those who live with or at a distance from their children. The findings suggest that more comprehensive top-level policy designs with respect to the allocation and management of affordable housing should be employed to encourage nearby-living and hence improve the system for supporting older adults.

KEYWORDS:

• Intergenerational geographic proximity
• older parents
• life satisfaction
• the Chinese

Key points

• An inverted U-shaped relationship exists between the geographic proximity of adult children and the well-being of older people in urban China.

• Older adults who live independently but with adult children living close by have significantly higher life satisfaction than those who live with or at a distance from their children.

• More comprehensive top-level policy designs should be employed to encourage nearby-living and hence improve the system for supporting older adults.

Acknowledgment:

Thanks to the Institute of Gerontology and National Survey Research Center at Renmin University of China for providing the CLASS data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.