Empirical Analysis And Evaluation On The Factors Associated With Well-being Of The Elder In China

The well-being of the aged is gaining mounting attention from scholars across the world where the aging problems have swept.As a developing country,such fundamental problems as "aging before getting rich" and "aging before getting ready" in China,pose more severe challenges for enhancing the well-being of the aged,which specifically means that the elderly will be properly looked after and enjoy their own life.The paper,based on the 2011 CHARLS Nationwide Baseline Survey and a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis,conducts a comprehensive and systematic research in the influence factors of the well-being of the aged and their contribution margins from the perspectives of the basic demographic characteristics,retirement,health,social support and involvement,intergenerational support and economic incomes,by studying and selecting relevant questions presented in the Survey.In its empirical study,the paper revealed the general status quo of the well-being of the elderly and its difference among different aging groups through descriptive statistics;then,by employing Ordered Probit Regression Model,it examined whether the six influence factors mentioned above have remarkable impact on their well-being and whether there is difference between those living in urban and rural areas;In the end,the author provided a comprehensive assessment of relevant factors through marginal analysis,which can make researches in this field more comprehensive and systematic.As a result,the research can increase the marginal utility of the implementation of relevant policies,leading to a positive and healthy development of the aging society in China.The regression analysis of the six factors influencing the well-being of the aged presented in the paper shows that:first,age has a positive correlation with well-being;the happiness of women is higher than that of men while the happiness of the old living in urban areas higher than that of those living in rural areas.In addition,the elderly living with their partners enjoys more happiness.Second,though the aged seems to be happier after retirement by large,there is no notable connections between normal retirement and each dimension of their happiness.Third,the number of chronic diseases,pains in their bodies and difficulties in daily life are all negative factors for the well-being of the aged.Fourth,more social participations can enhance their happiness.Fifth,more meeting with their children and intergenerational support,to some extent,can influence the happiness of the old positively.Sixth,economic incomes,to some extent,can boost the happiness of the old.In the separated regression analyses of samples living urban and rural areas,it shows that the well-being of the aged living in rural areas,compared with the urban ones,will be more influenced by such factors as sex,age,marriage status,pains in their bodies,difficulties in daily life and intergenerational support while the aged living in urban areas are more susceptible to the number of chronic diseases,social participation rate and economic incomes.Among all the influence factors,pains in their bodies,taking the general happiness and emotional happiness into consideration,have the highest marginal contributions to the well-being of the aged through marginal analysis,which is followed by retirement,marriage status and amount of chronic diseases;intergenerational economic support and social participation boast similar contribution margins that are lower than former factors;yet,difficulties in daily life,though enjoying similar contribution margins with living with children,have smaller contribution margins;frequency of meetings with children ranks only before economic incomes which is the last in the list.Therefore,it is feasible to improve factors with higher contribution margins,which will enhance the happiness of the aged in a more effective and significant way and facilitate the effects of relevant policies.The data of CHARLS employed in this paper is authoritative and scientific.A comprehensive and systematic analysis and assessment of the contribution margins lead to prospective and universal empirical results,which provide theoretical support and practice guidance for the set-up and implementation of relevant policies.Firstly,an urban-rural integrated security system and service system for the aged should be launched and improved by focusing on the difference between diverse aged groups in urban and rural areas.Then,pensions should be increased within an appropriate scope and the marginal utility of pensions should be improved by increasing subsidiaries for the aged with special needs.Besides,medical facilities in communities should be improved with enhanced popularization of healthcare knowledge;sound medical insurance system should be established.Moreover,we should pay attention to the psychological health of the aged,advocate positive aging society and induce the elderly to participate in social activities,and we should better housing service for the aged,which will make up the weakness of traditional way of looking after the old by family members and nursing institutions.Living independently from their children should be promoted as a proper living style for the aged.Last but not least,the Chinese filial piety culture should be passed on with more intergenerational communications,especially emotional and spiritual exchanges,and economic support.