Thai elderly who do not coreside with their children.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• Understanding living arrangements and social support for the elderly is crucial for public health.
• Many older adults in Thailand do not live with their children, necessitating research into their support networks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the living situations and support systems of elderly Thais who do not coreside with an adult child.
• To investigate the relationship between living arrangements and daily contact with children for the elderly population.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from a nationally representative survey of elderly Thais.
• Focus on a subset of 756 elderly individuals not living with adult children.

Main Results:

• A minority of elderly not living with children were childless; most had non-coresident children available.
• Daily contact levels for elderly living alone were similar to those living with children.
• Differences in support and proximity were observed between urban and rural elderly.

Conclusions:

• Separate households may function as integrated units, with non-coresident children providing support.
• Geographical proximity and family support networks are key factors for elderly well-being in Thailand.
• Urban and rural elderly experience different forms of support from non-coresident children.