TITLE:
Factors Affecting the Preferences for Informal Care of Older Chinese People—Using Social and Health Factors
AUTHORS:
Zihan Zhang, Chieko Kato, Yoshiomi Otsuka
KEYWORDS:
Chinese, Older People, Informal Care, Social Factor, Health Factor, Multiple Regression Analysis
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.11 No.5,
May
23,
2023
ABSTRACT: Introduction/Objectives: The aging of society is leading to significant
reforms in long-term care policy and systems in many countries. The demand for
informal care has increased
significantly at the same time that the demand for care cannot be met by formal care. It is necessary to verify the effect
of social and health factors on the informal care preferences of older people. Methods: Three hundred Chinese
respondents (60 years old and above) were recruited for this quantitative cross-sectional study. The data were analyzed by factor analysis and multiple regression
analysis. Results: Informal care preferences among older Chinese people were positively correlated
with gender, cohabitation, social participation, support from the community,
and health status; and negatively correlated with educational background.
However, age and family savings were not found to have a significant effect on
preferences for informal care among the older Chinese people in this study. Conclusion: Understanding the influence of various factors on preferences for informal care
among older people can help family members as caregivers to provide more
appropriate care.