FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CORESIDENCE AND PROXIMATE RESIDENCE BETWEEN ADULT CHILDREN AND OLDER PARENTS

Abstract

Living arrangements are an important aspect of intergenerational support that affects the health and well-being of both older parents and their adult children. Most prior research has focused exclusively on the characteristics of older parents, ignoring the fact that children are also active participants in decisions regarding parent-child residential proximity. We advance this research by analyzing living arrangements of older parents from the perspective of their adult children, using a multilevel mixed effects model that incorporates characteristics of both the older parents and each of their children as predictors. In addition, we differentiate between coresidence, proximate residence (living within 10 miles of a parent), and distant residence (living 10 miles or more from parent). We use data from the 2010 wave of the Health and Retirement Study. The sample is comprised of respondents age 75 or older who have at least one living child age 26 or over (n=14,243 children and 4,030 parents). We find significant associations of age, race/ethnicity, marital status, family composition, education, work status and income of both parents and children with coresidence and/or proximate residence, relative to distant residence. Children’s characteristics such as socioeconomic status (SES) and family composition appear to be more salient than parent’s characteristics in predicting proximate residence. Controlling for demographic and SES factors of parents and children, we find no association between parent’s health and coresidence or proximate residence of their children. These findings can help inform policies and programs related to family and community based support of older adults