子代性别视角下隔代照料对象对老年人健康轨迹的影响

The Impact of Generation-Skipping Care for the Grandchildren on the Health Trajectories of the Elderly from the Perspective of Children’s Gender

本研究基于2011-2018年四期“中国健康与养老追踪调查”数据,使用增长曲线模型分析子女性别导致的孙辈角色即老年人照料对象的不同如何影响老年人的健康轨迹,以及该影响的城乡与性别差异。研究发现,任何时期既照料孙子女又照料外孙子女的老年人健康都最差。随着时间的推移,照料孙子女的老年人报告不健康的风险逐渐降低,而照料外孙子女的老年人报告不健康的风险后期逐渐升高。异质性分析发现,隔代照料对象对农村老年人健康轨迹的影响大于城市老年人,照料孙子女会给他们带来更强的正向影响;而隔代照料对象对不同性别老年人健康轨迹的影响无显著差异。研究结果表明,政府、社区和家庭应关注不同角色祖父母的身心需求与健康状况,减少其晚年负担;也应促进农村地区性别平等,以增强子女和老年人对于代际关系的积极态度,构建和谐家庭氛围,促进健康老龄化。

Based on the data of CHRLS 2011-2018, this paper examines the impact of generation-skipping care of the grandchildren on the health trajectory of the elder and its differences between urban/rural and gender by the growth curve model. The findings show that the elderly who take care of both grandchildren and grandchildren-in-law at any time have the worst health outcome. With the passage of time, the unhealthy risk reported by the elder is in a downward trend at the beginning, while the unhealthy risk of the elder caring for grandchildren is gradually reduced, and the unhealthy risk reported by the elder caring for grandchildren-in-law is gradually increased in the later stage. Heterogeneity analysis found that the impact of generation-skipping care of grand children on the elder’s health have clear differences between the rural and the urban and there is obvious positive impacts on the elder’s health if they take care of their son’s children. However, the difference in caring for grandchildren of their son’s or daughter’s has no significant difference in the impact on the health trajectory of the elders of different genders. It imply that the government, community and family need pay attention to the mental health of the elders who are taking the responsibility of caring for grandchildren or grandchildren inlaw. On the other hand, the promotion of gender equality in rural areas can enhance the positive attitude of children and the elders towards inter-generational relations to build harmonious family atmosphere and promote healthy aging.