Association Between Old-Age Allowance Receipt and Multidimensional Well-Being Among Older Adults in China

IntroductionThis study examines the association between old-age allowance receipt and multidimensional well-being among older adults in China.MethodsUsing publicly available secondary data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) collected in 2013, 2015, 2018, and 2020, we constructed an unbalanced panel dataset of 17,350 person-wave observations for adults aged 60 years and above. A multidimensional well-being index incorporating objective and subjective components was constructed using the entropy method. Least squares dummy variable models controlling for city and survey-year indicators were used for estimation.ResultsReceipt of old-age allowances was significantly associated with higher total, objective, and economic well-being, whereas no significant associations were observed for subjective or health well-being. Moderation analyses suggest that the associations vary according to intergenerational financial transfers and leisure time. Stronger associations were observed among urban residents, higher-income older adults, and adults aged 80 years and above.ConclusionThese findings highlight the importance of tailoring local non-contributory income support policies to the heterogeneous needs of older adults.