| 摘要: |
| 快速的人口转变使我国独居老人比
例持续增加。面向独居老人的居家养老问题
是城市研究的前沿热点问题。既有研究多从
老年人居住模式（与子女同住、独居等）角
度展开分析，对居住距离的关注度不足。为
了解理想与实际居住距离对城乡老年人生活
满意度影响，研究借助中国纵向健康长寿调
查（CLHLS），建立代际居住距离与城乡老
年人生活满意度的逻辑回归模型，从时间差
异及城乡差异角度探讨影响结果。研究发
现：老年人自评健康（45.3%、46.8%）明显
低于观察者评价健康（87.1%、88.3%）；在
时间变化方面，代际居住距离因素对乡村老
年人生活满意度的影响由2014 年相关性不显
著转变为2018 年显著相关；在城乡差异方
面，理想居住距离主要影响独立居住的老年
人，其中对乡村独立居住老年人负面影响更
大，且这一影响会随时间加重。关注代际居
住距离对老年人生活满意度的影响，能为健
康导向下的城乡空间规划提供实证依据。 |
| 关键词: 老年人 代际居住距离 生活满意
度 城乡差异 时间差异 |
| DOI：10.13791/j.cnki.hsfwest.20240408004 |
| 分类号: |
| 基金项目:国家自然科学基金面上项目（51978118） |
|
| An analysis of the difference between intergenerational living distance and life satisfactionof the elderly in urban and rural areas: A test based on CLHLS data |
|
SUO Jian,WU Mengxue,KOU Ningbo
|
| Abstract: |
| China is one of the countries with the largest elderly population and the fastest pace of
aging in the world. By the end of 2023, individuals aged 60 and above and those aged 65 and above
accounted for 21.1% and 15.4% of the total population, respectively, indicating that China has entered
a stage of moderate aging. This rapid demographic transition has brought significant changes to
family structures and social patterns. According to data from the Seventh National Population Census,
the average household size in China has continued to decline from 3.10 to 2.62 persons. More and
more families are shifting from multigenerational households to nuclear family structures, leading to a
rapid rise in the proportion of empty-nest elderly, including those living alone. The issue of aging in
place for older adults living alone has become a focal point of public concern and a frontier topic in
urban studies and related interdisciplinary research.The Opinions on Strengthening Aging Work in the
New Era emphasize that enhancing the sense of gain, happiness, and security among the elderly is of
great significance in building an age-friendly society. This indicates that, as the proportion of older
adults in the total population continues to rise, the current challenges of aging are no longer limited to
simply ensuring care and support for the elderly, but should also focus more on their quality of life
and overall life satisfaction. Existing studies point out that life satisfaction is a primary criterion or
ultimate outcome for evaluating human experiences. The Dictionary of Developmental Psychology
defines life satisfaction as the degree to which individuals are content with their way of life. Most
research on life satisfaction has been conducted in Western countries, with relatively few studies
based on elderly populations in Asia. Regarding intergenerational living arrangements, such
arrangements encompass both living modes (such as co-residence with children or living alone) and
residential distance. However, most existing studies analyze intergenerational living primarily from
the perspective of living modes, while only a small number of international studies explore the
relationship between residential distance and life satisfaction among older adults. Some foreign
research suggests that older adults often try to avoid “intruding” on their children’s lives, but as they
age, their dependency on family increases. Therefore, living independently but close to their children
may enhance their life satisfaction. Due to cultural differences between the East and the West, older
adults in Western countries tend to place greater value on personal independence, while elderly
individuals in China are more influenced by traditional cultural norms. In Chinese tradition, coresidence
with adult children is often regarded as the most favorable living arrangement for older
adults. However, with rapid demographic changes, the proportion of older adults living alone in China
continues to rise. Some studies predict that Chinese seniors will increasingly prefer “independent
living in close proximity to their children.” This growing desire for independent living among
Chinese elderly raises questions about the long-held belief that living with children is the most
beneficial arrangement for them. Currently, research on intergenerational residential proximity among
older adults living alone in China remains limited, and empirical studies are insufficient. Furtherinvestigation is needed to better understand the relationship between intergenerational residential distance and life satisfaction among the elderly in China,
providing evidence-based support for health-oriented urban and rural spatial planning.To explore the differential impact of intergenerational residential distance
on the life satisfaction of older adults, this study utilizes data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) and constructs a logistic
regression model to examine the relationship between intergenerational residential distance and life satisfaction among urban and rural elderly populations,
considering both temporal and urban-rural differences. The findings reveal that self-rated health among older adults (45.3%, 46.8%) is significantly lower than
health assessments provided by observers (87.1%, 88.3%). In terms of temporal changes, the effect of intergenerational residential distance on life satisfaction
among rural older adults shifted from being statistically insignificant in 2014 to significantly correlated in 2018. Regarding urban-rural differences, the ideal
residential distance primarily affects independently living older adults, with a more pronounced negative impact observed among those in rural areas.
Furthermore, this negative impact tends to intensify over time. |
| Key words: the elderly intergenerational living distance life satisfaction logistic regression analysis temporal differences |
