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Household Context and Subjective Well-Being Among the Oldest Old in China

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, feinian_chen{at}ncsu.edu

Susan E. Short

Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

This article investigates the importance of household context to subjective well-being among the oldest old (aged 80 years and older) in China. Using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, the authors find that living arrangements have strong implications for elderly emotional health. First, living alone is associated with lower subjective well-being. Second, coresidence with immediate family (spouse or children) is associated with positive subjective well-being. Third, compared to living with a son, the traditionally dominant type of living arrangement, coresidence with a daughter appears positively linked to the emotional health of the oldest old. Results highlight the importance of family and cultural context to subjective well-being of the oldest old. They also suggest that the gendered nature of caregiving merits further attention in China and other patrilineal societies.

Key Words: living arrangements • family • subjective well-being • aging • caregiving • gender • China

This version was published on October 1, 2008

Journal of Family Issues, Vol. 29, No. 10, 1379-1403 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0192513X07313602


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