• Journal of Families and Better Life
• /
• v.25 no.1 s.85
• /
• pp.59-75
• /
• 2007

This review synthesizes research during the past 15 years on the family relations of older persons. After discussing two background issues-sociodemographic changes of later life families and the status of the elderly-the following topics are addressed; relationships between aged parents and adult children, couple relationships, grandparents' relationship with their grandchildren and sibling relationships. Family relationships are vital support systems providing emotional and instrumental support in the lives of older persons. Mutual assistance and affection among family members were found to be common characteristics. Although research on family gerontology has increased in quantify, there are feater needs to develop qualitative, longitudinal and theory grounded studies to capture the rich complexity of family life. Other challenges and suggestions for future research on older persons' family relationship are presented.

• Journal of Family Relations
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.111-131
• /
• 2018

Objectives: This study examined the effects of residential proximity to adult children on the mental and physical health of middle-aged and older parents. The study also evaluated whether the parental age and gender of the adult child in closest proximity to the parent might moderate the association. Method: Data were drawn from five waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging(2006-2014). The analytic sample consisted of 7,359 parents aged 45 or older who had at least one non-coresidential adult child aged 19 or older. The analyses were conducted by estimating a series of fixed effects models while adjusting for the nested structure of the data. Results: The results showed that first, a closer distance between an adult child and the parent was generally associated with the parent experiencing a decrease in depressive symptoms. Yet, the mental health benefit was smaller for parents aged 65 years or older whose closest living adult child was a son. Second, a closer distance was observed to affect chronic illness only among middle-aged parents (aged 45 to 64). When the closest living adult child was a daughter, the middle-aged parent experienced deterioration in their chronic illness. On the other hand, the opposite pattern was observed when the closest living adult child was a son. Conclusions: The parental age and gender of the adult child in closest proximity to the parent might have varying effects on parents' health. A closer distance between an adult child and their parent has a positive impact on the mental health of the parent as a whole, whereas the effect of living closer was mixed in relation to the parental physical health.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.35-50
• /
• 1996

This paper is a review and assessment of 1122 articles on families in later life from 5 journals published during 1980 and 1995. theoretical and methodological issues family relationships in later life social support network caregiving attitudes and stress life satisfaction and stress of the aged and welfare system for the aged are the major areas examined. The review indicates that this area of research in quantity has increased rapidly since 195. Relationships between aged parents and their adult children focusing on caregiving attitudes behavior and stresses for supporting their parents among the children and adjustment/life satisfaction of the aged are dominantly investigated. However most of the research are non-theoretical and descriptive in nature and the influences of socio-economic variables such as sex health economic status and educational level on dependent variables are widely investigated. Future research questions and issues under the sub-ares of families in lat r life is provided. Further directions and suggestions for future research works on families in later life in general are provided with particular emphasis on conceptual and methodological issues.

• Journal of Family Relations
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.119-145
• /
• 2017

Objectives: Grounded in a life-course perspective, this study examined the effects of non-coresident children's transitions to marriage and parenthood on the frequency of contact with their parents. Gender of adult children and the educational levels of both adult children and their parents were evaluated as potential moderators of the transition-contact linkages. Method: The analytic sample consisted of adult children aged between 20 and 50 whose parents participated in four waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2006, 2008, 2010, 2012). For analysis, fixed effects regression models were estimated using the xtreg procedure in Stata. Results: First, transition to marriage was associated with a decrease in face-to-face contact, whereas a greater increase in contact with parents via phone, mail, email etc. occurred only among newly married with less than college education compared to the newlywed with college degrees. Second, transition to parenthood was associated with an increase in contact via phone, mail, email etc. In addition, a greater increase in face-to-face contact was found with parents who completed high school or more education compared to those with less than high school education. Conclusions: The findings suggest that adult children's transitions to marriage and parenthood may bring about increases in contact with their parents, particularly for adult children with less than college education and parents with more than high school education.

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

• Korea journal of population studies
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.123-148
• /
• 2001

This study explores the factors affecting emotional support between aging parents and adult children living in separate households. With a social exchange perspective on intergenerational family relationship as theoretical framework, the effects of aging parents\` demographic characteristics, potential reward resources. and need for care were tested by analyzing data collected from 2.535 persons aged 65 and over in 9,355 sample households of \`National Survey of Living Status and Welfare Needs of the Elders-1998\`. The statistical analysis of 2,205 aging parents with adult children living in seperate households reveals that the aging parents who have potential reward resources are provided more emotional support by their children than the aging parents without resources are. Findings also show that the elders who live in same households with their own children, and need help from other people with instrumental activities of daily living obtain less emotional support from their children living in separate households. The empirical findings of this study support the social exchange perspectives on family ties between aging parents and adult children living in separate households. but only 8.9 per cents of variance in degree of emotional support is explained by the variables included in the model.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.59-76
• /
• 2012

This study examines the relationship between intergenerational financial resource transfers and preparation for later life among the middle-aged. The study sample consists of 1536 middle-aged individuals with at least one living parent and one married child. The level of preparation for later life is dependent upon the level of household economic status. The statistically significant variables predicting the level of preparation for later life include age, education, subjective health status, household income and household assets. Moreover, intergenerational resource transfers are statistically significant factors that explain the level of preparation for later life. The effect of financial transfers from middle-aged parents to their adult children on the level of preparation for later life is the most significant financial transfer variable.