Rethinking Vulnerability: Social Connections Among Kinless Older Adults in China

This study investigates how kinless middle-aged and older adults in China experience changes in social connection over time. Unmarried individuals with children reported significantly higher levels of both social participation and non-domestic instrumental support compared to those married with children. Previously and never married childless individuals had significantly higher non-domestic instrumental support. While social participation declined for most, the never-married and childless group showed a slower decrease in support. These findings underscore the need for a dynamic perspective on kinless aging, highlighting how individuals mobilize support beyond the domestic sphere despite the absence of immediate kin.