Evandrou, Maria, Falkingham, Jane, Qin, Min and Vlachantoni, Athina (2017) Children’s migration and chronic illness among older parents ‘left behind’ in China. SSM - Population Health, 3, 803-807. (doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2017.10.002).
Abstract
The relationship between adult children’s migration and the health of their older parents ‘left behind’ is an emerging research area and existing studies reflect mixed findings. This study aims to investigate the association between having migrant (adult) children and older parents’ chronic illness in China, using chronic stomach or other digestive diseases as a proxy. Secondary analysis of the national baseline survey of the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) was conducted. Analyses were conducted in a total of sample of 6,495 individuals aged 60 years and above from 28 out of 31 provinces in China, who had at least one child at the baseline survey. Binary logistic regression was used. The prevalence of any of the diagnosed conditions of chronic stomach or other digestive diseases was higher among older people with a migrant son than among those without (27 percent vs 21 percent, p < 0.001). More specifically, the odds ratio of reporting a disease was higher among older adults with at least one adult son living in another county or province than among those with all their sons living closer (OR=1.29, 95% CI=1.10–1.51). The results from this large sample of older adults support the hypothesis that migration of sons significantly increases the risk of chronic stomach and other digestive diseases among ‘left behind’ elderly parents in contemporary China.
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- Faculties (pre 2018 reorg) > Faculty of Engineering and the Environment (pre 2018 reorg) > Southampton Marine & Maritime Institute (pre 2018 reorg)
- Faculties (pre 2018 reorg) > Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences (pre 2018 reorg)
- Current Faculties > Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Economic Social and Political Science > Centre for Population Change
School of Economic Social and Political Science > Centre for Population Change - Faculties (pre 2018 reorg) > Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences (pre 2018 reorg) > Social Sciences (pre 2018 reorg) > Gerontology (pre 2018 reorg)
Current Faculties > Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Economic Social and Political Science > Social Sciences (pre 2018 reorg) > Gerontology (pre 2018 reorg)
School of Economic Social and Political Science > Social Sciences (pre 2018 reorg) > Gerontology (pre 2018 reorg)
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