A preliminary discussion of the marital inhabiting status of the elderly
Lin, H.; Hong, Y.
Population Research 4(1): 29-33
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 1002-6576 PMID: 12315239 Document Number: 354225
This study is based on data from the provincial 1/1000 survey on marriage and family conducted by the Population Research Institute of Shaanxi Academy of Social Sciences in 1983. In the Shaanxi Province 2639 people aged 60 and over were interviewed (1357 men and 1282 women). The survey produced the following results: 1) over 80% of the elderly live with their offspring (61.75% are men and 37.83% are women), 2) about 10% of elderly couples with offspring do not live with them, 3) the number of elderly who live alone is very small (less than 3%), 4) about 1% of couples are without offspring. Urban-rural differences of the elderly's marital inhabiting status include 1) of the elderly who live with their offspring, there are more married urban elderly than rural, 2) the percentage of elderly couples who do not live with offspring is slightly larger in urban than in rural areas, and 3) more single elderly people live in rural area than in urban areas. Some regional differences include 1) the Shaanbei region has the largest proportion of elderly people who live apart from their children, 2) the Guanzhorg region has the largest proportion of joint families, and 3) the Shaannan region has the highest proportion of widowed, single, and childless elderly. It is anticipated that a gradual transition of support from family-based to society (or community)-based form will occur. To provide for this occurrence, 1) raise the funds for supporting the elderly and set up a system to support the elderly which suitable for urban and rural situations, 2) in rural areas, tax community and personal incomes and those who with many births to provide funds for supporting the elderly, 3) the civil administration organs should set up homes for the aged and implement the "5 guarantees" policy.