Family Structure and Subjective Well-being of Older Adults in China: Impacts of Grandparent Coresidence, Grandparenting, and Family Support

This study examines the association between family structure (grandparents' coresidence with and caregiving for grandchildren and family support) and grandparents' subjective well-being (life satisfaction and depression). A multistep sampling method was used to select 4,076 adults aged 65 and above in China, and multiple linear regression models examined sociodemographic and family structure variables related to the grandparents' subjective well-being. Living in three-generation households is associated with increased life satisfaction and decreased depression, but living in skipped-generation households is not associated with the subjective well-being of grandparents. Caring for grandchildren is also not related to subjective well-being. The effects of living arrangement are less pronounced when the family network is added to the models. Gender and age differences slightly affect the relationship between coresidence, childcare, and subjective well-being. Our findings suggest that living in three-generation households and caring for grandchildren may be associated with beneficial outcomes for grandparents but do not determine their well-being. The findings also highlight the importance of family networks, especially for grandparent-grandchild households.