Intergenerational Resource Transfer Patterns between Parents and Children in South Korea and Depression

Abstract

This study investigated the patterns of intergenerational resources transfer between parents and children in South Korea, and the influence on depression by its patterns. To maintain this, the seventh wave of Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging data were used. For data analysis, Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used with five sub-factor variables: direct and indirect connections, receiving and providing financial support, and rearing grandchildren. For additional analysis, crosstab, logistic analysis, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and multiple regression were used. In the results, the optimal number of latent classes was four (parents offering, financial-centered, mutual offering, and emotional and financial-centered). In addition to the LCA results, there were some differences in predictors of pattern determination in each country. According to the results of ANOVA and multiple regression, parents offering and financial patterns led to more depression than the other two patterns. Based on the results, the importance of mutual communication and emotional connection was suggested for managing depression in South Korean older parents.