Does Gender Matter in the Receipt of Informal Care Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults? Evidence from a Cross-National Comparative Study Across the United States, South Korea, and China

Objectives: This study compares patterns of gender difference in the receipt of informal care among community-dwelling older adults across the United States, Korea, and China where family-oriented systems for providing care to older adults are emphasized.

Method: Data came from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study, the 2014 Korea Longitudinal Study of Aging, and the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Logistic regression models were used to predict the receipt of informal care by gender. We also examined how the effects of health and living arrangement on the receipt of informal care differ depending on gender.

Results: In the United States and China, older women were more likely to receive informal care than men. However, older Korean women were less likely to receive informal care than men. The effects of health and living arrangement on the use of informal care were moderated by gender in different ways across countries.

Discussion: This study provides evidence that patterns of gender differences in the receipt of informal care vary across the three countries. More attention needs to be paid to the design and implementation of long-term supports and services to address the unique patterns of gender difference in care arrangement in each country.