Marital Status Transitions and Patterns of Intergenerational Co-Residence among China’s Elderly

Kim Korinek, University of Utah
Danan Gu, Portland State University

Population aging is proceeding quickly in China and as a result, sizable segments of the population will encounter widowhood in the coming decades. The current study examines whether stability and change in marital status among the very old in China, and in particular the incidence of widowhood, triggers particular responses in co-residence. We analyze multiple waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey to determine whether entrance into widowhood influences coresidence. Results of logistic regression analyses suggest that Chinese older adults, including both men and women and those with many children and few, are able to turn to child co-residence as a form of support when they have lost the support and companionship of their spouse.