农村成年子女对老年父母的临终照料研究

End-of-Life Care Provided by Adult Children to Elder Parents in Rural China

利用西安交通大学人口与发展研究所2001年至2009年间四期纵贯跟踪调查的死亡数据,采用多层次线性模型,对子女为农村老年人提供临终照料的影响因素及其子女间的性别差异进行研究;结果表明:子女的出生排行次序、居住距离和父母与子女生前的代际交换都会影响子女在老年父母临终期间给予的照料水平,其影响机制因子女性别的不同而有所差异;当代中国农村的老年人在临终期间的照料仍然主要依靠儿子,独子和独女提供的临终照料最多,其次是长子和长女,幼子和幼女提供的最少;与老年父母同住的子女在其临终期间提供的照料最多,其次是同村但不同住的子女;指出地理距离的相隔是阻断子女在老年父母临终时尽孝的重要因素,与老年父母生前代际资源交换频繁的子女,尤其是儿子是农村老年父母临终照料的主要力量。

Based on the life course perspective, using data of the death survey derived from four longitudinal questionnaire surveys for 9 years conducted in the rural area of Chaohu city of Anhui province, this paper studies factors affectingthe end - of - life care provided by the adult children to the elder parents. Multi - level linear model reveals that the level of the care provided by the adult children is affected by the birth order of the children, the physical distance and thelevel of intergenerational exchange before death. The care in the end of life of the elderly is mainly provided by the sons. The care is mostly provided by the only son or only daughter, the care provided by the eldest child ranks second, andleast care is provided by the youngest child. The child who lives together with the elder parents before their death pro- vides most care and the child who lives in the same village ranks second. The physical distance between adult childrenand eider parents will reduce end - of - life care support to elder parents. Those children, especially sons, who have intergenerational resources exchange frequently with the elder parents, provide main end -of- life care support.