Social Support and Life Satisfaction of Ethnic Minority Elderly in China

Abstract

Previous studies indicate that Han and ethnic minority groups in China are not homogeneous. However, little research has examined potential heterogeneity in the association between social support and life satisfaction across Han and ethnic minority elderly. Based on data from the 2014 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey, this study uses ordered logit models with interaction terms to examine the relationship between social support and the life satisfaction of ethnic minority elderly and of elderly Han Chinese. We find that support from families and friends has a stronger association with the life satisfaction of ethnic minority elderly than their Han peers. For ethnic minority elderly, the patterns of family support varied according to rural or urban residence, with family support being less important to the life satisfaction of ethnic minority elderly living in urban communities than in rural areas. Our findings suggest that social policy should take this heterogeneity between ethnic groups into account.