The role of family support in the well-being of older people: Evidence from Malaysia and Viet Nam

Demographics across Asian countries are evolving rapidly, potentially disrupting traditional forms of family support for older adults. In this context, we examine the relationships between the well-being of older individuals and various factors related to family support, including the number of living children, marital status, and living arrangements. Results from a set of Poisson random effects models with panel data show that in Malaysia, having living children plays an important protective role for mental health, while living with a son appears to have a protective effect for physical health. Results are similar for Viet Nam, except older women, who are at greater risk of mental and physical health problems, appear to experience less of a protective effect for their mental health from living with family members or living near a child than do men. Given these estimated protective effects of living arrangements, governments may need to adjust their social safety nets to bolster the physical and mental health of senior citizens living alone.