Does grandchild care intention, intergenerational support have an impact on the health of older adults in China? A quantitative study of CFPS data

Abstract

Background: With the rising of fertility cost and the implementation of the "universal three-child" policy, the model of intergenerational support for grandchild is becoming an inevitable choice for more and more families in China. As the number of grandchildren increases and the interval between births extends, will the grandchild care intention and grandparents' health be affected?

Methods: Based on the data of China Family Panel Studies from 2018 and 2020, this study used multiple linear regression and multiple mediation tests to investigate the effect of grandchild care intention and intergenerational support on the health of older adults.

Results: Firstly, actively taking care of grandchild has increased the self-rated health and mental health of older adults by 11.8 and 10.7%, respectively. Secondly, there is heterogeneity in the effect of intergenerational support from adults on health in their parents, among them, economic support improves the physical health by 5.5%; life care increases the self-rated and physical health by 3.3 and 0.8% respectively; emotional comfort improves the physical and mental health by 2.5 and 2.9%, respectively. Thirdly, grandchild care intention has a mediating effect on the health of older adults through economic support, life care, and emotional comfort.

Conclusion: The grandchild care intention has positive effect on the health of older adults. The intergenerational supports (economic support, emotional comfort, and life care) have heterogeneous effects on the health of older adults, such as economic support mainly affects the physical health. Older adults who actively take care of their grandchild are more likely to gain intergenerational support and feedback from their adult children, transforming intergenerational support into a "win-win" model of resource reciprocity between generations. Based on this, it is necessary to re-establish the value identity of "caring for older adults" and "raising grandchildren" at the cultural level, continuously improve the fertility support policies at the government level and establish "caring for older adults" support platform at the social level.

Keywords: grandchild care intention; intergenerational support; multiple mediating effects; the health of older adults; the “universal three-child” policy.