Social Integration and its association with mortality among older people in China

Abstract

This thesis examines the pattern of the association between social integration and mortality of older people (age 55+) in Beijing, China. China is a rapidly aging population and there is increasing concern that family support for older adults may be decreasing thus negatively impacting the well-being of this population. I examine the relative importance of family and non-family related social relationships and activities in protecting against mortality for Chinese elderly. Social integration is defined as involvement in social networks and social activities. The data are from three waves of longitudinal data from Beijing Multidimensional Longitudinal Study on Aging project (BMLSA). I employ pooled logistic regression model in order to better handle the time-varying nature of social integration and health status variables in the longitudinal data. One of my main findings is that, contrary to expectations, the commonly assumed protective effects of intergenerational relationships and family support are not significant for older adults. Compared to family-centered activities, engaging in activities outside the home plays a more important role in protecting against mortality among healthy elderly. The implications of the dramatic social and demographic changes on the pattern of the association between social integration and mortality for older people in contemporary China are discussed.