Trajectories of Intergenerational Emotional Closeness in Multi-Child Aging Families in China

Abstract

Intergenerational emotional closeness (IEC) in multi-child families manifests not only in the overall parent-child relationship but also by the extent of its within-family differentiation. This study aimed to identify distinct trajectories of collective IEC in multi-child families and to examine its potential associated factors. The study used four waves of the China Family Panel Studies (2010–2018). Based on a sample of 3474 older adults (age >60), growth mixture modelling and logistic regression were conducted. Two latent trajectory patterns of IEC were identified: increasingly tight-knit (93%) and persistently collectively ambivalent (7%). Compared to the latter trajectory, older adults who had a married/cohabiting partner, had better health and received support from all children, were more likely to have increasingly tight-knit trajectories of IEC. The study tells a story more about emotional cohesion between Chinese older adults and multiple offspring over time. Aging families experiencing persistently collectively ambivalent IEC deserve more attention.