The impact of intergenerational support on older adults’ life satisfaction in China: Rural-urban differences

As the population ages, the importance of improving the well-being of older adults grows. To understand the current impact of intergenerational support on the life satisfaction of older adults in China, we aimed to further improve the quality of elder care and promote the physical and mental health of older adults. We used a probit regression analysis to examine 7825 individuals from the 2018 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS). Various types of intergenerational support was differentially associated with older adults’ satisfaction, with significant disparities between living in a rural or urban area. Emotional support played a significant role in enhancing the life satisfaction of rural older adults, whereas the life satisfaction of urban older adults was only related to instrumental support. In general, providing support had a more positive impact than receiving support, except for emotional support. The positive impact of intergenerational support on older adults may no longer be simple reciprocity or feedback but rather involve more altruistic characteristics and the pursuit of higher-level needs, such as love, respect, and self-actualization.