Publications

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The impact of son or daughter care on Chinese older adults' mental health

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Category: Journal Articles

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People:

• Harper, Sarah
• Zhang, Yanan

Zhang, Y. & Harper, S. (2022) The impact of son or daughter care on Chinese older adults' mental health. Social Science & Medicine https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115104

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The traditional cultural norm in China is that eldercare should be offered by a son and his family. However, several decades of family planning policies and rapid economic growth has led to low fertility rates, urbanisation, and cultural change, resulting in both reduced household size and the availability of sons. The traditional eldercare system is thus being challenged, especially in urban areas, with an increasing number of daughters supporting their parents, enabled by rising female empowerment, formal economic employment and improved financial capacities. Existing studies examine and compare the amount and types of support provided by sons and daughters, but very little is known about the differential health outcomes of parents experiencing eldercare offered by sons and by daughters.

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