The Time Divide: Daily Activity Patterns of Midlife and Older Adults in China

This study employs a holistic, cluster-based approach to comprehensively examine how daily activity patterns in mid- and later life vary by urban or rural residence and between men and women in China. Employing national time use data, activity patterns and variations by residence and gender were analyzed through sequence analysis, hierarchical clustering, and multinomial logistic regression models. It reveals six activity patterns among urban Chinese individuals, while their rural counterparts exhibit a similar yet distinct set of patterns, highlighting the structural characteristics of time and emphasizing the contrasting differences between rural and urban contexts. Moreover, this study uncovers notable gender disparities, with men more likely to be in paid labor and leisure-oriented clusters, while women tend towards clusters characterized by childcare and household responsibilities. This research provides a time-based perspective that contributes to understanding social stratification in China by examining the structural and heterogeneous nature of daily activities.