Social support among the aged in Wuhan, China
Liang, J.; Gu, S.; Krause, N.
Asia-Pacific Population Journal 7(3): 33-62
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0259-238X PMID: 12317665 Document Number: 321224
The study provides an in-depth analysis of social support among the elderly in China's Wuhan City and surrounding rural areas. An overview of the demographic context within which China is located is followed by a critical assessment of current research on social support for the elderly. The 2762 (59% urban, 41% rural) elderly persons studied were found to be actively engaged in exchanges of social support with their families and kin. They not only receive assistance, but provide a substantial amount of help to others. These supportive ties are highly positive and satisfactory to the majority of the respondents. Only moderate correlations were found among various dimensions of social support. The results underscore the multi-dimensional nature of social support and suggest that caution needs to be exercised in extrapolating interpersonal exchanges from social fixity. They also highlight the need to take into account the effects of socioeconomic variables such as sex, urban/rural residence and educational background in any study of social support and interpersonal exchanges.