AUTHOR=Chen Jiangyun , Zeng Yixin , He Wenjun , Yang Jiao , Xu Dong , Li Haomiao 

TITLE=How Healthy Aging and Contact With Children Are Associated With Satisfaction in Middle-Aged and Older Parents in China: A Mediation Analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.836558

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.836558

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Objectives: This study aims to examine the mediation role of satisfaction with children on the association between contact with children and healthy ageing among middle-aged and older parents in China. 
Methods: Data from 9575 parents over 45 years old were obtained from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey. A multinomial logistic regression model was applied to measure the association between contact, satisfaction, and healthy ageing with potential confounders controlled. We used the Sobel-Goodman Mediation test to analyze the mediation role of satisfaction on the association between types of contact with children and healthy ageing. 
Results: Parents with contact with adult children had higher satisfaction with children (for contact weekly [satisfied/unsatisfied]: RRR =2.44, CI =1.92~3.10) and higher healthy ageing (for contact weekly [Q5/Q1]: RRR =1.41, CI =1.13~1.77). Satisfaction was strongly related to healthy ageing (for satisfied [Q5/Q1]: RRR =3.44, CI =2.14~5.51), and mediated 19.21% of healthy ageing for weekly contact (Sobel test z = 4.387; indirect role = 0.015, CI=0.012~0.018; direct role = 0.062, CI=0.031~0.094). Subgroup analysis further revealed that satisfaction with contact played a partial mediating role between monthly contact and healthy ageing in female and rural groups. 
Conclusions: Monthly contact with children is more appropriate for older parents. Satisfaction with children in older parents seems to act as a significant and partial mediator of the relationship between contact and healthy ageing. The contribution of satisfaction to healthy ageing could be important to be considered and promoted in female and rural older parents, independent of contact with children.