Abstract
The paper explores the Chinese elderly’s dependency, or need for assistance, in four key functional areas: physical, mental, social and economic, based on data from the 1992 National Survey on the Old-age Support System (NSOSS). The approximate indicators, selected on data availability, show that the dependency rates of the elderly differed markedly by functional area. Only a very small proportion of the elderly were physically dependent or partly dependent. In contrast, economic dependency was a common phenomenon. The dependency rates varied by age, sex and urban-rural residence. Older people, females and rural residents were more likely to have a higher need for assistance. These findings have major policy implications in old age support and aged care programs.
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Hao, Y. Dependency of the chinese elderly: An exploration. Journal of Population Research 15, 171–186 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03029398
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03029398