Abstract: Population aging is a global concern, and China, with its large population, has one of the largest older populations in the world. In rural China, older adults often face financial pressure and reduced family support due to younger generations migrating to cities, increasing the risk of social isolation and mental health challenges. To enhance rural residents’ income security, China launched the New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) in 2009, providing a basic pension to those aged 60 and above. In addition to its economic role, NRPS can also encourage social participation by easing financial constraints on social engagement. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and applying a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, this study investigates whether NRPS impacts social activities among rural older adults. The findings show that NRPS significantly improves social activities through interaction with friends. However, further analysis indicates that NRPS does not improve social participation for all population subgroups: men, individuals without formal education, and those in poverty experience little to no improvement. These results suggest that while pension programs can improve social participation for some older adults, additional support will be needed for others.
Research in Progress:
Living alone among older adults: Evidence from population census data in 13 countries
with Sophie Mitra
Abstract: As part of global efforts to monitor healthy ageing, there is growing interest in understanding the living arrangements of older adults, especially those living alone in low- and middle-income countries. While previous studies have documented rising levels of older adults living alone, little is known about the individual and family characteristics associated with living alone across countries. This study exploits recent population census data to investigate sociodemographic and disability factors associated with living alone in later life. We use population and housing census data from 13 countries that include internationally comparable questions on older adults' living arrangements and functional difficulty status (e.g., difficulty in seeing, walking). For each country, we conduct multivariate logistic regression analyses to examine how living alone is associated with wealth, migration, functional difficulty status, and other characteristics. We find that those with a greater wealth level, non-migrants, women, and those who are married are less likely to live alone. The association between functional status and living alone depends on context.
Climate change and older adults: Evidence from the Philippines
with Sophie Mitra and Jayajit Chakraborty
Abstract: Climate change threatens the well-being, health and safety of populations worldwide. It may place a disproportionate burden of environmental harms on the most marginalized communities, including older adults. Older adults may be at greater risk from climate change if they are more exposed to climate change events. In this paper, we analyze if and how older persons are differentially exposed to climate events in the Philippines.
Other Publications:
with Xun Zhang, Xin Zhang, and Guangming Lü
Journal of Financial Research, no. 011: 97-116.