Department of Sociology, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China.
Department of Sociology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Oct 30;21(11):1440. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21111440.
Life satisfaction, as an important indicator of subjective well-being, is crucial for older adults. This study aims to examine the effects of downward intergenerational financial and practical support on life satisfaction among older adults in China, while exploring the mediating role of self-esteem and the potential differences across gender. Data were collected from 507 older adults aged 60 and above in China. The findings indicate that both financial and practical support provided by older adults positively predict their life satisfaction. Mediation analysis reveals that self-esteem partially mediates the relationship between downward intergenerational support and life satisfaction. This suggests that helping their children enhances older adults' sense of self-worth, which in turn improves their overall well-being. Gender differences were also observed: financial support had a stronger impact on life satisfaction for men, while practical support was more significant for women. These results highlight the influence of traditional gender roles and cultural expectations on the dynamics of intergenerational support in contemporary Chinese families.
生活满意度作为主观幸福感的重要指标，对老年人至关重要。本研究旨在探讨中国老年人向下代际提供经济和实际支持对其生活满意度的影响，同时探讨自尊的中介作用以及性别差异。数据来自中国 507 名 60 岁及以上的老年人。研究结果表明，老年人提供的经济和实际支持均正向预测其生活满意度。中介分析表明，自尊在向下代际支持与生活满意度之间起部分中介作用。这表明帮助子女可以增强老年人的自尊心，从而提高他们的整体幸福感。还观察到了性别差异：经济支持对男性的生活满意度影响更大，而实际支持对女性的影响更为显著。这些结果突出了传统性别角色和文化期望对当代中国家庭代际支持动态的影响。
