title: An exploratory discrete-time multilevel analysis of the effect of social support on the survival of elderly people in China.
abstract: This study undertakes a survival analysis of elderly persons in China using Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey 2002-2008. Employing discrete-time multilevel models, we explored the effect of social support on the survival of elderly people in China. This study focuses on objective (living arrangements and received support) and subjective activities (perceived support) of social support, finding that the effect of different activities of social support on the survival of elderly people varies according to the availability of different support resources. Specifically, living with a spouse, financial independence, perceiving care support from any resource is associated with higher survival rates for elderly people. Separate analysis focusing on urban elderly and rural elderly revealed broadly similar results. There is a larger difference between those perceiving care support from family or social service and not perceiving care support in urban areas comparing to those in rural areas. Those who cannot pay medical expenses are the least likely to survive. The higher level of economic development in province has no significant effect on the survival of elderly people for the whole sample model and the elderly people in urban areas; however, there is a negative influence on the survival of the rural elderly people.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research on Ageing, School of Social Sciences, University of Southampton, UK; School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, UK. Electronic address: frankfengs@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Zhixin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Kelvyn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Wenfei Winnie
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis
keywords: China; Discrete-time multilevel analysis; Social support; Survival