Abstract：
OBJECTIVE: Informal care provided by adult children is of great importance for older adults\' well-being in China. This paper investigates and compares the functional transitions among older adults living in rural areas who receive care from daughters\' and from sons\' families.
METHODS: This study utilizes the \'Well-being of Elderly Survey in Anhui Province\' (WESAP), from 2001 to 2021. Our sample included 2,797 individuals aged 60 years or over. Functional status was based on the activities of daily living (ADLs) and the instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). We employed a random-effects ordered logit model to examine the functional transitions among the older adults.
RESULTS: Receiving care from daughters\' families is significantly associated with a lower likelihood of functional decline compared to receiving care from sons\' families in rural China. The advantage associated with daughter care becomes more pronounced among older individuals with a severe functional difficulty compared to those with a mild or moderate functional difficulty. The difference is prevalent among older adults aged 75 and above, with less wealth or multiple chronic diseases, or who live alone. Furthermore, among those with severe functional difficulties, the daughter advantage is more significant for fathers as compared to mothers.
CONCLUSIONS: Nowadays, daughters\' families can provide high-quality informal care, often surpassing that offered by sons\' families. This daughter advantage becomes even more significant among older adults who have a higher need for family care, such as those with severe disabilities and limited financial resources.
METHODS: This study utilizes the \'Well-being of Elderly Survey in Anhui Province\' (WESAP), from 2001 to 2021. Our sample included 2,797 individuals aged 60 years or over. Functional status was based on the activities of daily living (ADLs) and the instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). We employed a random-effects ordered logit model to examine the functional transitions among the older adults.
RESULTS: Receiving care from daughters\' families is significantly associated with a lower likelihood of functional decline compared to receiving care from sons\' families in rural China. The advantage associated with daughter care becomes more pronounced among older individuals with a severe functional difficulty compared to those with a mild or moderate functional difficulty. The difference is prevalent among older adults aged 75 and above, with less wealth or multiple chronic diseases, or who live alone. Furthermore, among those with severe functional difficulties, the daughter advantage is more significant for fathers as compared to mothers.
CONCLUSIONS: Nowadays, daughters\' families can provide high-quality informal care, often surpassing that offered by sons\' families. This daughter advantage becomes even more significant among older adults who have a higher need for family care, such as those with severe disabilities and limited financial resources.
摘要：
目的：在中国，由成年儿童提供的非正式护理对老年人的福祉非常重要。本文调查并比较了生活在农村地区接受女儿和儿子家庭照顾的老年人的功能转变。
方法：本研究利用“安徽省老年人幸福感调查”（WESAP），从2001年到2021年。我们的样本包括2,797名60岁或以上的人。功能状态基于日常生活活动（ADL）和日常生活工具活动（IADL）。我们采用了随机效应有序的logit模型来检查老年人之间的功能转变。
结果：在中国农村，与从儿子家庭接受护理相比，从女儿家庭接受护理与功能下降的可能性较低显著相关。与具有轻度或中度功能困难的人相比，在具有严重功能困难的老年人中，与女儿护理相关的优势变得更加明显。这种差异在75岁及以上的老年人中普遍存在，财富减少或多种慢性疾病，或者一个人住。此外，在那些有严重功能困难的人中，与母亲相比，父亲的女儿优势更为重要。
结论：如今，女儿家庭可以提供高质量的非正式护理，通常超过儿子家庭提供的。这种女儿优势在需要家庭照顾的老年人中变得更加显著，例如那些严重残疾和财政资源有限的人。
方法：本研究利用“安徽省老年人幸福感调查”（WESAP），从2001年到2021年。我们的样本包括2,797名60岁或以上的人。功能状态基于日常生活活动（ADL）和日常生活工具活动（IADL）。我们采用了随机效应有序的logit模型来检查老年人之间的功能转变。
结果：在中国农村，与从儿子家庭接受护理相比，从女儿家庭接受护理与功能下降的可能性较低显著相关。与具有轻度或中度功能困难的人相比，在具有严重功能困难的老年人中，与女儿护理相关的优势变得更加明显。这种差异在75岁及以上的老年人中普遍存在，财富减少或多种慢性疾病，或者一个人住。此外，在那些有严重功能困难的人中，与母亲相比，父亲的女儿优势更为重要。
结论：如今，女儿家庭可以提供高质量的非正式护理，通常超过儿子家庭提供的。这种女儿优势在需要家庭照顾的老年人中变得更加显著，例如那些严重残疾和财政资源有限的人。
