Selection of children to provide care: The effect of earlier parental transfers

John C. Henretta, Martha S. Hill, Wei Li, Beth J. Soldo, Douglas A. Wolf

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

144 Scopus citations

Abstract

We use the first wave of data from the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) study to examine the effects of past parent-to-child financial transfers on selection of a child to provide assistance with basic personal care for unmarried parents. We estimate a fixed-effects conditional logit model and find a positive and significant association between past financial transfers and a child's current helping behavior. The coefficient of past financial transfers is in the direction hypothesized, and its magnitude is 80% as large as that of gender, a well-documented powerful predictor of parental caregiving. There appears to be substantial evidence that earlier parent-to-child financial gifts play a role in determining which child in the family will provide assistance.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)110-119
Number of pages10
JournalJournals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
Volume52
Issue numberSPEC. ISS.
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1997

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health(social science)
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Life-span and Life-course Studies

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Selection of children to provide care: The effect of earlier parental transfers'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this