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The Gerontologist 40:228-234 (2000)
© 2000 The Gerontological Society of America

Social Contact, Socioeconomic Status, and the Health Status of Older Malaysians

Z. Helen Wu, PhDa and Laura Rudkin, PhDb

a Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
b Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

Correspondence: Z. Helen Wu, PhD, Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0860. E-mail: zhwu{at}utmb.edu.

Decision Editor: Vernon L. Greene, PhD

We tested the applicability of the stress buffering hypothesis in a developing country setting with data from the Senior Sample of the Malaysian Family Life Survey-2. Using ordered logistic regression methods, we examined whether having daily contact with adult children moderates the effect of low socioeconomic status (SES; conceptualized as a chronic stressor) on self-assessed health status. We found that low SES is associated with poorer health for all three ethnic groups—Malay, Chinese, and Indian. Further, for Malays and Chinese, we found that the negative effects of low SES on health tend to be stronger for older people with less frequent contact with adult children than for those who have daily contact. These results provide general support for the buffering model and suggest that, as found in developed countries, active intergenerational relationships in developing country settings may have protective effects on the health of older people experiencing chronic stressors.

Key Words: Intergenerational relations • Social support • Chronic stressor




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