Do Older Adults Expect Reciprocity When Providing Family Support to Different Generations? Evidence From a Nationally Representative Sample of Rural and Urban China

Cheng SHI; Yajing ZHU; Terry Yat Sang LUM; Gloria Hoi Yan WONG

doi:10.1177/0192513X261432539

Do Older Adults Expect Reciprocity When Providing Family Support to Different Generations? Evidence From a Nationally Representative Sample of Rural and Urban China

Cheng SHI
, Yajing ZHU
, Terry Yat Sang LUM
, Gloria Hoi Yan WONG^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications › Journal Article (refereed) › peer-review

Abstract

The debate on whether family caregiving is reciprocal or altruistic remains unresolved. This study examined how older adults’ care expectation is associated with their caregiving for different generations, focusing on direct and indirect reciprocity and altruistic giving. Using baseline data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (n = 11,511), we employed a multiple-indicator-multiple-cause model to examine multi-dimensional care expectation in relation to caregiving for their older parents, adult children, and grandchildren. Urban respondents who recently provide support to their adult children or grandchild reported a higher level of care expectation; caregiving for one’s own parents was associated with lower care expectation. A similar pattern was observed among rural respondents, but only for caregiving for adult children was statistically significant. Results suggest that caregiving for descendants is linked to reciprocal expectations, while caregiving for older parents is more altruistic. This study highlights the complex dynamics of intergenerational caregiving and expectations in rural and urban China.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Family Issues
Early online date	9 Mar 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X261432539
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 9 Mar 2026

Bibliographical note

We thank Professor Peng Du at Renmin University of China and Dr. Bo Hu and Ms Nicola Brimblecombe at London School of Economics and Political Science for their generous support. We are also grateful to the National Survey Research Center at Renmin University of China for providing the CLASS baseline data.

The authors declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Y. Zhu is a full-time employee of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd; this employment is not in any way connected to the manuscript preparation.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2026

Funding

This study was supported by the Hong Kong Research Impact Fund of the Research Grants Council (Project Reference number: R7017-18), as part of the “Tools to Inform Policy: Chinese Communities Actions in Response to Dementia” (TIP-CARD) project. CS receives funding from Lingnan University Faculty Research Grant (reference number: GSFRG/22/8). The funding body was not involved in the study design, the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, the writing of the report, or the decision to submit the paper for publication.

Keywords

demonstration effect
family support
filial responsibility
intergenerational relationship
reciprocity

Access to Document

10.1177/0192513X261432539Licence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

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title = "Do Older Adults Expect Reciprocity When Providing Family Support to Different Generations? Evidence From a Nationally Representative Sample of Rural and Urban China",

abstract = "The debate on whether family caregiving is reciprocal or altruistic remains unresolved. This study examined how older adults{\textquoteright} care expectation is associated with their caregiving for different generations, focusing on direct and indirect reciprocity and altruistic giving. Using baseline data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (n = 11,511), we employed a multiple-indicator-multiple-cause model to examine multi-dimensional care expectation in relation to caregiving for their older parents, adult children, and grandchildren. Urban respondents who recently provide support to their adult children or grandchild reported a higher level of care expectation; caregiving for one{\textquoteright}s own parents was associated with lower care expectation. A similar pattern was observed among rural respondents, but only for caregiving for adult children was statistically significant. Results suggest that caregiving for descendants is linked to reciprocal expectations, while caregiving for older parents is more altruistic. This study highlights the complex dynamics of intergenerational caregiving and expectations in rural and urban China.",

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note = "We thank Professor Peng Du at Renmin University of China and Dr. Bo Hu and Ms Nicola Brimblecombe at London School of Economics and Political Science for their generous support. We are also grateful to the National Survey Research Center at Renmin University of China for providing the CLASS baseline data. The authors declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Y. Zhu is a full-time employee of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd; this employment is not in any way connected to the manuscript preparation. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2026",

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AU - WONG, Gloria Hoi Yan

N1 - We thank Professor Peng Du at Renmin University of China and Dr. Bo Hu and Ms Nicola Brimblecombe at London School of Economics and Political Science for their generous support. We are also grateful to the National Survey Research Center at Renmin University of China for providing the CLASS baseline data. The authors declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Y. Zhu is a full-time employee of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd; this employment is not in any way connected to the manuscript preparation. Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2026

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N2 - The debate on whether family caregiving is reciprocal or altruistic remains unresolved. This study examined how older adults’ care expectation is associated with their caregiving for different generations, focusing on direct and indirect reciprocity and altruistic giving. Using baseline data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (n = 11,511), we employed a multiple-indicator-multiple-cause model to examine multi-dimensional care expectation in relation to caregiving for their older parents, adult children, and grandchildren. Urban respondents who recently provide support to their adult children or grandchild reported a higher level of care expectation; caregiving for one’s own parents was associated with lower care expectation. A similar pattern was observed among rural respondents, but only for caregiving for adult children was statistically significant. Results suggest that caregiving for descendants is linked to reciprocal expectations, while caregiving for older parents is more altruistic. This study highlights the complex dynamics of intergenerational caregiving and expectations in rural and urban China.

AB - The debate on whether family caregiving is reciprocal or altruistic remains unresolved. This study examined how older adults’ care expectation is associated with their caregiving for different generations, focusing on direct and indirect reciprocity and altruistic giving. Using baseline data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (n = 11,511), we employed a multiple-indicator-multiple-cause model to examine multi-dimensional care expectation in relation to caregiving for their older parents, adult children, and grandchildren. Urban respondents who recently provide support to their adult children or grandchild reported a higher level of care expectation; caregiving for one’s own parents was associated with lower care expectation. A similar pattern was observed among rural respondents, but only for caregiving for adult children was statistically significant. Results suggest that caregiving for descendants is linked to reciprocal expectations, while caregiving for older parents is more altruistic. This study highlights the complex dynamics of intergenerational caregiving and expectations in rural and urban China.

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JF - Journal of Family Issues

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Do Older Adults Expect Reciprocity When Providing Family Support to Different Generations? Evidence From a Nationally Representative Sample of Rural and Urban China

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Caregiving and care expectation of older adults in rural and urban China: a mixed-method study

Cite this

Do Older Adults Expect Reciprocity When Providing Family Support to Different Generations? Evidence From a Nationally Representative Sample of Rural and Urban China

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Caregiving and care expectation of older adults in rural and urban China: a mixed-method study

Cite this