Childhood Housing and Health in Old Age
Author Information
Author(s): Kong Dexia, Lu Peiyi, Lou Vivian Weiqun
Primary Institution: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hypothesis
Does childhood housing affect health in old age among Chinese individuals, and is this relationship mediated by adulthood life history?
Conclusion
Better childhood housing is linked to fewer depressive symptoms and better cognition in later life.
Supporting Evidence
- 28%-37% of respondents had access to electricity or energy for cooking/heating during childhood.
- Only 6% had access to clean water and 2% to water toilets during childhood.
- Better childhood housing was directly associated with fewer depressive symptoms and better cognition.
Takeaway
If kids grow up in better houses, they might feel happier and think better when they get older.
Methodology
Causal mediation analysis was used to examine the pathways from childhood housing to health in later life.
Limitations
The proportion-mediated estimate had very wide confidence intervals, making it uncertain.
Participant Demographics
Middle-aged and older adults (aged 45+) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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