Comparison Between Elderly Chinese Living Alone and Those Living with Others

Abstract This study examined the differences between Hong Kong Chinese elderly people living alone and those living with others in terms of socio-demographic characteristics, physical health indicators, social support and subjective well-being. The respondents were 1106 people aged 60 years or older from a cross-sectional sample representative of the elderly population in Hong Kong. Some 105 of these respondents lived alone; another 149 respondents who lived with others were randomly selected from the sample as a comparison group. We found that elderly persons living alone were younger and were less likely to be married. Compared to the elderly respondents living with others, they had poorer self-rated health status and a higher level of financial strain. They also reported smaller social networks of relatives, received less instrumental and emotional support, and reported more depressive symptoms and a lower level of quality of life. Service implications are discussed based upon the findings.