Who You Live With Matters: Living Arrangements and Life Expectancy With the Evidence From Eighteen-Year Follow-Up Data

Abstract

No study has quantified the association between living arrangements and life expectancy in Taiwan. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating life expectancy among various types of living arrangements in Taiwan. We applied the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging, a longitudinal survey of a nationally representative sample of older adults in Taiwan. We conducted hazard models to estimate the life expectancy of older adults by gender, at age 60, and in 12 different types of living arrangements. Our results have confirmed an association between living arrangements and life expectancy among older Taiwanese. Older adults who live with their parents enjoy a longer life expectancy. In contrast, living with a caregiver or in nursing institutions, and living only with their son/son-in-law have a relatively shorter life expectancy. Living arrangements suggested the allocation of family resources and support, and the demand/need for health care differs across living arrangements.