Gender differences in adult child contact among black elderly parents

Using data on 575 black respondents from a national probability sample survey conducted in 1984, we examined gender differences in levels of contact with children among black middle-aged and elderly persons, and in the determinants of that contact. Men, especially those who live alone, experienced substantially fewer visits and phone calls per year than did women. This difference was not explained by controls for variables measuring needs, resources, and child availability. The process determining contact with children, however, appeared to be highly similar for men and women, with the exception of the effect of living alone. This effect was related to marital status and may reflect differences in history of living arrangements with children.