The Effect Of Marital Status And Living Arrangement On Health Of The Elderly

According to "the Survey of Healthy Longevity for Chinese Oldest Old in 2000", Thethesis studies the effect of marital status and living arrangement upon the old people's health.From the cross tab, it presents the current situation of old people's marriage and residence,explains the dependence relationship between the factors of marriage, residence and the healthof the elderly, also demonstrates the close connection between the marital status, livingarrangement and the variables of self-rated health and life, ADL, etc. It draws a conclusionthat good marriage and suitable residence can protect old people's health. In addition, livingwith household members in old age is the main style in current China which is in accordancewith our traditional culture. In living arrangements, it shows two effects: One is the selectingeffect, the other is the promoting effect.Moreover, by using the Logic regression model to examine the dependence relationshipbetween the status of marriage, residence and the old people's health, the result appears strongsignificance. With the development of society economy, the guarantee system for providingthe elderly fare the well gradually. The old people are decreasing financial support from theirchildren but the care and comfort from family are not died down. The care and love of thefamily have aggressive influence on their healthy status.The thesis set forth the main existing social problems on bereft of spouse, remarriageobstacles and living alone in old age, especially for old woman under the situation. In order topromote healthy longevity, it put forward a few policy suggestions: At the marriage aspect,the whole society should pay attention to the elderly, creating better social environment forthem and take social mechanism to partly substitute marriage function, improving the livingquality of the elderly;In another aspect, the government should establish related measures toencourage elderly support at home;For the sake of the old people's health, the family doesadjust living arrangement in good time when necessary;Develop Chinese traditional filialmorality in care of the elderly;Perfect community service, building up various supportingsystem;Adjust the existing family planning policy, strengthening the back up to support theelderly;Improve the population quality as a whole beneficial condition to make a healthy oldsociety.