Disparities of the Chinese Elderly: Activities of Daily Living and Socioeconomic Characteristics

Using data from a national survey conducted in 2006 by the China Research Center on Aging, this study examines the disparities between the socioeconomic characteristics of the Chinese elderly and their daily mobility and household activities. This study tests the hypothesis that the disparities of daily living activities among the Chinese elderly are associated with their socioeconomic characteristics, including age, gender, residence, marital status, education, economic security, and health. By utilizing both cross-classification and the Chi-square significance test, the findings show support for the underlying hypothesis. Policy implications are discussed.