The Extended Family as a Source of Support to Elderly Blacks

The impact of family and demographic factors on the frequency of support from family members was examined among a sample (National Survey of Black Americans) of 581 blacks aged 55 years and above. The findings revealed that income, education, region, degree of family interaction, proximity of relatives, and having adult children were determinants of frequency of support. The use of multivariate analyses extends previous work in the area and suggests that these relationships are more complex than originally thought.