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The Role of Family Support in the Well-Being of Older People: Evidence from Malaysia and Viet Nam

Author

Listed:
  • Yana van der Meulen Rodgers

    (Rutgers University)

  • Joseph Zveglich, Jr.

    (Asian Development Bank)

  • Khadija Ali

    (Asian Development Bank)

  • Hanna Xue

    (Rutgers University)

Abstract

Demographics in Malaysia and Viet Nam are evolving rapidly, potentially disrupting traditional family support to older people. We estimate a set of Poisson random effects models with panel data from the Malaysia Ageing and Retirement Survey and the Viet Nam Aging Survey to analyze how living arrangements, marital status, and support from children influence the mental and physical health of older people. In Malaysia, having living children plays an important protective role for both mental and physical health, while living with a son appears to have a protective effect for physical health. Results are similar for Viet Nam, except older women, who are at greater risk of mental and physical health problems, appear to enjoy a greater protective effect for their mental health from a child living nearby than do men. Our analysis underscores the importance of social safety nets for the health of senior citizens living alone.

Suggested Citation

  • Yana van der Meulen Rodgers & Joseph Zveglich, Jr. & Khadija Ali & Hanna Xue, 2024. "The Role of Family Support in the Well-Being of Older People: Evidence from Malaysia and Viet Nam," ADB Economics Working Paper Series 730, Asian Development Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:ris:adbewp:0730
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    mental health; well-being; physical health; depression; gender; women; aging;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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