Health, Work, and Family Support in China — China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS)

Citation:

Kaneda, Toshiko. (2002). Health, Work, and Family Support in China. Master's thesis / Doctoral dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Abstract:

This dissertation examines the effects of the health transitions of older adults on their work behaviors and those of their family members in China. Rapid population aging, lack of universal welfare programs for the elderly, and increasing pressure on the traditional family-based elderly support system in China make this an important topic. Analyses are based on data from the 1991 and 1993 waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey. By using work measures that capture not only work status and hours worked, but also the types of work activities in which Chinese adults engage, I find that the health decline of older adults significantly influences not only their own work behaviors but also the work behaviors of their spouses and adult children. I find that while some older adults in China respond to declines in health by stopping work altogether, some opt for participating in more flexible and less intense work activities which allow them to remain economically active into advanced age. I also find that when older adults experience health decline, their spouses and adult children respond by taking on more flexible and less intense work activities that typically take place closer to home and, thus, are more compatible with providing care. Some spouses and adult children, however, respond by taking on more intensive work, suggesting that they adjust their work to meet financial needs created by the health decline of their elderly family members. My analyses show that gender is a significant determinant of the relationship between work and declines in one's health and in one's parent's health. For example, men are more likely to respond to parental help-needs by performing more intensive work activities, while the opposite is true for women. I also find that the number of adult household members modifies the ways Chinese adults respond to their own health declines and those of their family members. For example, when older adults experience a decline in their own health or that of a spouse, they decrease their work intensity, but to a lesser extent if they have a large number of adult household members.

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Reference Type:
THES

Secondary Title:

Series Title:

Author(s):
Kaneda, Toshiko

Editor(s):

Series Author(s):
Elder, Glen H.

Year Published:
2002

Date Published:

Journal Name:

Volume Number:
3070865

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Start Page Number:
219-219 p.

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Publisher:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

City of Publication:
Ann Arbor

ISSN/ISBN:
9780493906669; 0493906665

DOI:

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Reference ID:
1912

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