Family Support, Multidimensional Health, and Living Satisfaction among the Elderly: A Case from Shaanxi Province, China

Lijian Wang, Liu Yang, Xiaodong Di and Xiuliang Dai
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Lijian Wang: School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Liu Yang: School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Xiaodong Di: School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Xiuliang Dai: School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 22, 1-18

Abstract: The current study investigated the association between three types of family support and living satisfaction of elderly individuals in China, and paid particular attention to the possible mediating role of the elderly population’s multidimensional health. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2019, and 938 elderly people from seven counties (districts) of China’s Shaanxi province were enrolled. Multivariable linear regression and mediation effect analysis were employed to examine the integrated relationships among these variables. The results showed that emotional support and decisional support from families were positively related to the living satisfaction of elderly individuals (β = 0.101, p = 0.000; β = 0.263, p = 0.000), while the relationship between daily living support and living satisfaction was not significant (β = 0.017, p > 0.05). The mediation examination further demonstrated that both mental state and social integration mediated the association between emotional support and living satisfaction, as well as the association between decisional support and living satisfaction, but a mediating effect of physical health was not observed. These results indicate the pathways in the relationships of different types of family support to living satisfaction via mental state and social integration, having significant implications for enhancing the living satisfaction the elderly.

Keywords: elderly individuals; family support; multidimensional health; living satisfaction; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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