Dynamics of family support for the elderly in rural India: the influence of co-residence with children

Papiya Guha Mazumdar, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Sumit Mazumdar, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

This paper traces the dynamics of family support towards better understanding the factors constituting intra-family support systems for the elderly in rural India with emphasis on the effect of co-residence patterns on the support mechanisms. The data for this paper is from the 60th Round of the National Sample Survey in India during 2004. A composite index of familial support for the elderly was constructed based on selected variables using PCA and the effect of co-residence patterns towards determining the degree of family support for the aged observed applying OLS regressions with appropriate controls for other intervening variables. Living arrangement of the aged suggest significant co-residence with children, apart from spouse. The results of the regression model lend stronger support in favour of the hypothesis that co-residing with children leads to greater familial support for the elderly, which, in turn is more likely to lead to improved well-being.