The Reciprocal Relationship of Self-Rated Health and Instrumental Help From Adult Children: Evidence From Germany

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Receiving support from adult children may promote or be harmful for older adults’ health. Poor health, however, often precedes the need for intergenerational support. To date, few studies have addressed the relationship between instrumental help (i.e., help with household chores) and older adults’ self-rated health (SRH) simultaneously, thereby accounting for potential reverse causality. Moreover, little research has accounted for omitted variable bias. Methods Dynamic panel models with fixed effects provide an opportunity to address these methodological issues. Drawing on four waves of the German Ageing Survey, which provide a sample of 3,914 parents aged 40–95 years, I investigate the bidirectional linkages between instrumental help from adult children and SRH. Results Results suggest that prior receipt of instrumental help is not a significant predictor of future reported SRH. Similarly, previous SRH does not significantly predict the likelihood of receiving instrumental help at follow-up. Instead, earlier values of SRH and instrumental help are most important for predicting future SRH and instrumental help. Discussion The results shed new light on the interplay between SRH and instrumental help from adult children. The study suggests that older adults’ health and support in later life are not interdependent. I discuss these findings in relation to future policies for healthy aging to focus on interventions that facilitate optimal health in the earlier stages of the life course and for adult children to provide continued support to their parents.