• Human Ecology Research
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.369-386
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine which aspects of coresident intergenerational relationships were associated with the life satisfaction of unmarried children in established adulthood and of their parents. In this study, the coresident relationship characteristics included support exchange, emotion, interference-conflict, and perceptions of coresidence. Data were collected from (a) 250 never-married adults who were 35+ years old and lived in Seoul with at least one parent aged 75 years or younger and (b) 250 older adults who were 75 years old or younger and had at least one unmarried child aged 35+ years living in the same household. Our multiple regression analysis of unmarried children showed that the adult child's financial support, the adult child's psychological reliance on parents, the parent's psychological reliance on the child, and relationship quality were significantly related to higher levels of life satisfaction. In contrast, the parent's daily interference, daily conflicts, and anticipation of future care of parents were related to lower levels of life satisfaction. Second, the characteristics that were positively associated with the parent's life satisfaction were the parent's instrumental support, relationship quality, the coresident child's daily interference, positive perceptions of intergenerational coresidence, and expectation of future care of parents. In contrast, the parent's financial support, daily conflicts with the child, and taking intergenerational coresidence for granted were negatively related to the parent's life satisfaction. This study advances our understanding of coresidence between unmarried children in established adulthood and their older parents by focusing on the multiple aspects of intergenerational coresidence.

• Journal of Family Relations
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.129-147
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• 2016

Objective: This study examined the role of siblings with respect to living arrangements between married children and their parents. Previous studies have rarely considered the possibility that family context such as siblings may be associated with intergenerational residential proximity. Method: Using data from first wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2006), I investigated if, among married children, their sibling characteristics may be associated with the probability of their coresiding with the parent(s), living nearby (within a 30-minute distance from parent(s) by public transportation), or living further away. Specifically, the total numbers of sisters and brothers, the numbers of siblings coresiding with the parent(s) and living nearby, their relative position in the sibling network (first-born son, later-born son, first-born daughter, later-born daughter), and sibship existence and gender configurations (only child, son with brother(s) only, son with sister(s) only, son with both brother(s) and sister(s), daughter with brother(s) only, daughter with sister(s) only, daughter with both brother(s) and sister(s)) were evaluated in the study. For data analysis, multinomial logit models with robust standard errors were estimated using the Stata mlogit procedure. Results: Results suggest that the probability of a married child living together with the parent(s), relative to living close by, was significantly higher the more sisters he or she has. Being a son, especially first-born son, was associated with a higher probability of intergenerational coresidence compared to near residence, respectively. Also, the numbers of siblings coresiding with the parent(s) and living in close proximity were linked to a higher risk of intergenerational coresidence and near residence. Supplementary analyses revealed that the last finding was held over and above the total number of siblings, their relative position in the sibling network, as well as sibling existence and gender configurations. Conclusion: Overall, the study findings indicate that sibling characteristics have significant impacts on intergenerational living arrangement. The influence of traditional patrilineal norm of intergenerational coresidence and a trend towards modified extended family have emerged when siblings characteristics are taken into consideration as determinants of intergenerational living arrangement.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.105-118
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• 2015

This study examined whether structural (coresidence, proximity) and associational (frequency of face-to-face contact, frequency of contact via phone, email or letter) solidarity between adult children and older parents may influence older parents' cognitive functioning. Adult children may help delay older parents' cognitive decline by promoting healthier lifestyle, engaging parents in complex everyday problem solving, and providing emotional support. The data consisted of men and women 65+ at Wave 1 who had at least one child 20+ and participated in at least two waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA, N=3,961). Cognitive functioning was measured with the Korean version of the Mini Mental State Examination. Fixed effects models were estimated using the xtreg procedure in STATA. Findings suggest that increases in proximity with at least one adult child may lead to enhanced cognitive functioning among older parents. Neither transitioning to coresidence with at least one adult child nor increases in frequency of contact with at least one non-resident adult child was associated with changes in older parents' cognitive functioning. With older parents' increasing preference for living close by, but not necessarily living with adult children, greater proximity may provide more opportunities for reciprocal support exchanges between the two generations, leading to better cognitive functioning of older parents.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.55-72
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• 2012

Few studies have done on the intergenerational relations of married women and their own parents in Japan. This study approaches the topic by examining coresidence and contact frequency between generations. The study expects the likelihood of living together (including living next door) and the extent of contact would differ by the characteristics of woman, her husband, children, her brothers and sisters, her own parents and parents-in-law. From the 2003 Survey for National Family Research in Japan, selected are 853 currently married women in their 30s and 40s whose parent and parents-in-law are alive. The analysis shows that the likelihood of living together with parents decreases as the number of brothers and sisters increases. In particular, the presence of brother substantially decreases the likelihood. Having father only alive (vs. having both parents alive) also increases the likelihood. The frequency of contact with parents is conditioned by the coresidence with parents-in-law. It also differs by the level of education and its gap between spouses. Subjective evaluation of husband's attitude toward her parents is important. As in the case of living together, the number of brothers and sisters and the survival status of parents are significant in explaining the frequency of contact with her parents. The results indicate that number of brothers and sisters as well as widowhood of parents serves as its demographic condition. The findings that the frequency of contact with parent are affected by coresidene with parents-in-law, education gap between spouses and husband's attitude toward her parents suggest that the relationship of married women with her own parents are conditioned by her husband and his parents.

• Journal of Family Relations
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.123-141
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• 2016

Objective: This study examined correlates of residential proximity between parents and non-coresident married children. A majority of existing studies on intergenerational living arrangement has focused on exploring factors that are associated with intergenerational coresidence only, despite an increasing number of parents and children who do not live together but close by. Because residential proximity facilitates frequent contacts and support exchanges between the two generations, it is important to understand its correlates. Method: The data were drawn from first wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA, 2006), a nationally representative sample of adults 45 years or older and their spouses. The analytic sample consisted of 3,950 parents with 10,946 non-coresident married children. Both regression with robust standard errors and sibling fixed effects regression models were estimated using the reg and xtreg procedures in STATA. Results: Younger, less depressed, and more physically impaired parents lived closer to at least one of their married children (within a 30-minute distance by public transportation). Fathers (compared to mothers), parents living in cities (compared to those living in rural areas), parents with at least one co-resident child or fewer numbers of married children tended to have at least one married child living nearby. With regard to child characteristics, married children who were less educated, homeowners, and had more children lived closer to their parents. Also, sons (compared to daughters) lived in closer distance to their parents. Conclusion: Overall, findings suggest that intergenerational residential proximity may primarily be motivated by the childcare needs of married children or parents' needs for assistance with functional impairment. Also, the traditional patrilineal norms of intergenerational support may still be a critical factor in residential decisions as observed in the difference between married sons and daughters in proximity to their parents.

• 한국노년학
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.503-518
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• 2007

The intergenerational support exchange depends on elder's objective conditions and social context, and its effects are diverse. I argue that not only capacity such as health condition and economic status but also relational properties among parent(s) and adult children are important to determine their reciprocal support exchange. Seoul area is selected, and 730 elders are interviewed to be analyzed quantitatively. The survey data are collected based on the structured questionnaire. Findings are partly supportive to the arguments presented above. The relational properties, especially coresidence, the number of adult children, and contact frequency independently influence reciprocal support. The better health conditions of parent(s) are, the more support to adult children is given. The economic status is related to financial support exchange only. The types of intergenerational support exchange include dependant, balanced, and generalized reciprocity. The most important determinant of the reciprocity is the elders' health condition.