Health of the Adult Children Caregivers for Older Adults in Mainland China

Objective. Guided by Pearlin's stress process model, this study explored the health of the adult children caregivers for older adults in mainland China.

Methods. Data were from a nationally representative sample of respondents aged 45+ (N=13,204) who participated in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study Wave 2 (2013). Using logistic regression techniques, the first analysis focused on the relationship between caregiver status and social determinants of health and health disparities. For the second analysis, the moderating effect of employment status on caregiving time and depressive symptoms among 1,082 adult children caregivers was examined using multiple linear regression.

Results. Adult children who were women, urban residents, younger, married, and had high school or more education were more likely to be caregivers than non-caregivers. Caregivers were more likely to live alone or live in three generation households and report fewer difficulties with physical functions compared to non-caregivers. Among caregivers, adult children who spent more hours providing care were more likely to experience more depressive symptoms as were adult children who were working outside of the home. The effect of caregiving time on depressive symptoms was moderated by employment status and gender. Unemployed men caregivers who spent more hours providing care reported the most depressive symptoms. Conversely, unemployed men caregivers who spent fewer hours providing care reported lowest level of depressive symptoms.