Title : The influence of adult children’s education on the health behavior of parents
Abstract:
China faces challenges in promoting “healthy aging”, particularly with the world’s largest elderly population. The health issues of older demographics require more attention. While existing research has extensively examined the role of individual socioeconomic characteristics in shaping health outcomes, less attention has been paid to the potential intergenerational influences within families, particularly the role of adult children in shaping parental health behaviors. This paper investigates whether and how adult children’s educational attainment affects the health behaviors of their middle-aged and elderly parents. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) covering the period 2010 to 2018, the study focuses on a range of health-related behaviors, including smoking, drinking, sleep patterns (daytime napping), healthcare utilization, and the use of clean water for cooking. To address potential endogeneity concerns, the analysis employs an instrumental variable approach to identify the causal effect of children’s education on parental health behaviors. Results show that older individuals with highly educated children are more likely to engage in health-benefiting behaviors, such as reducing smoking, napping, seeking medical attention, and using clean water sources for cooking. Further analysis reveals substantial heterogeneity across parental gender, age, urban-rural residence, and offspring gender, indicating that the effects are not uniformly distributed across population subgroups. The findings highlight the importance of intergenerational linkages within the family and suggest that children’s education may shape parental health behaviors through intra-household differences in access to resources and support. The article presents actionable pathways for enhancing the health behaviors of older demographics and aligns with policy imperatives.
