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Improving physical, mental and cognitive health is a strategic choice to help developing countries cross the middle-income trap. This paper used data from the 2019 China Rural Children Health and Nutrition Survey (n = 826), and used the Ordered Probit (Oprobit), Logit and ordinary least squares (OLS) analytical methods to systematically analyze the implications of parental migration on multidimensional health. The results indicate that parental migration significantly harms the physical and mental health of rural children, and that mobile phone addiction has a significant moderating effect. Moreover, parental migration has a greater impact on the physical health, mental health and cognitive ability of boys and rural children with low family income, while parents with higher nutrition knowledge and education can effectively improve the physical health and cognitive ability of their children. In conclusion, in order to improve the multidimensional health of rural children, the government should strengthen the policy of care and support for children whose parents migrate. Schools and families should pay attention to the supervision of rural children's mobile phone addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the rural long-term care (LTC) facilities in China are ill-equipped to manage the physical and psychological needs of older residents with dementia. These facilities mostly consist of older male Tekun (socially and economically vulnerable) adults. Preventing or delaying the onset of dementia is especially crucial for these older Tekun adults. A sample of 711 older male Tekun adults from rural LTC facilities in the Anhui province of China was used to investigate the association between psychological resilience and cognitive functioning, and to examine the moderating effect of activities of daily living (ADLs) on that association. Linear and quantile regression found that resilience was positively associated with cognitive functioning for the total sample, with a greater effect among those with a lower level of cognitive functioning. The benefit of resilience on cognitive functioning was observed only in participants with disability in ADLs. Our findings present evidence in support of interventions to foster psychological resilience and potentially improve cognitive functioning among vulnerable older adults. Resilience-promoting intervention is a strength-based approach that aligns with social work values and can be used in practice. The implications for social work practice were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In rural China, where families serve as critical safety-nets for their vulnerable members, grandparents play an essential role caring for the offspring of their migrant children. Evidence is mixed as to whether caring for grandchildren provides health benefits or incurs health risks. In this article, we used six waves of data from a study in rural China to examine the impact of caregiving for grandchildren on grandparents' emotional and cognitive health. Further, we examined financial transfers from adult children as a resource that potentially moderates the impact of high intensity caregiving on these outcomes. Data derived from six waves (2001–2015) of the Longitudinal Study of Older Adults in Anhui Province, China. We constructed 2,835 person-interval observations derived from 1,067 grandparents to examine lagged change in depressive symptoms and cognitive ability. Results show that caregiving frequency is not by itself harmful or beneficial to the emotional and cognitive health of grandparents, but it does appear to be harmful in the context of custodial care that is less economically supported by adult children. These results are discussed in terms of their relevance to intergenerational reciprocity in a filial culture, time-for-money exchange expectations, and the need for financial resources among caregiving grandparents in rural China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Heterogeneity in successful aging has been found across countries. Yet, comparable evidence is sparse except in North America and Europe. Extending prior research, this study examined the prevalence and correlates of successful aging in East Asia: China, Korea, and Japan. Method We used harmonized data sets from national surveys. A total of 6,479 participants (aged between 65 and 75) were analyzed. Using Rowe and Kahn's (1987 , 1997) model, successful aging was defined as having no major diseases, no difficulty performing activities of daily living, obtaining a median or higher score on tests of cognitive function, and being actively engaged. Results The average prevalence of successful agers was 17.6%. There were variations in the global and specific measures of successful aging within and across countries, even after controlling for individual sociodemographic factors (age, gender, and education). The odds of aging successfully were highest in Japan and lowest in China, especially in the rural areas. Being younger and males were associated with a higher likelihood of successful agers in both global and specific measures. Discussion This study observed heterogeneity in successful aging in East Asia. To identify policy implications, future research should explore potential societal factors influencing individuals' opportunities for successful aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Parental investment and skill mediate caregiver mental health and child development. • Caregiver depression are more harmful to parenting practices and child development. • The variety of play material has significant mediation effect on child development. • Coercive parenting mediate caregiver mental health and child development. Parenting practices are associated with early childhood development (ECD), and some evidences suggest that mental health might affect parenting practices. However, the interrelationships of mental health, parenting practices, and ECD outcomes have not yet been well documented in developing contexts like rural China. This paper aims to investigate the interrelationships between the caregiver's mental health, parenting practices, and the child's ECD outcomes in rural China. A total of 1787 sample households in an undeveloped rural area of western China are enrolled in the study. A socioeconomic questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, the Family Care Indicators, the Parent and Family Adjustment Scales, and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development version III were used to measure the socioeconomic characteristics of sample households, the caregiver's mental health, parental investments and parenting skills, and the child's development outcomes, respectively. Mediation model was then applied to estimate the interrelationships. The results showed that parental practices significantly mediated between the caregiver's mental health and the child's cognition, language, motor, and social–emotion development. Through parental investments, one standard deviation increases in the caregiver's mental health test score was associated with the decline in the child's four development scores by 0.6% standard deviation, respectively. Through parenting skills, one standard deviation increases in the caregiver's mental health test score was associated with the decline in the child's language and social-emotional score by 2% and 5% standard deviation, respectively. Different dimensions of caregiver mental health, parental investments and skills played heterogeneous roles in the interrelationships. Early interventions aimed at improving the caregiver's mental health, parental investments and skills are important and might be effective to improve early childhood development in rural China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the health effect of perceived built environment on depression of the Chinese elderly people in rural areas. A multifaceted approach in examining perceived built environment was used. A sample of 670 older residents in rural area of China were interviewed, and data were collected mainly for exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and moderation analysis. Results showed a reliable construct of perceived built environment which was developed by this study. A significant moderating role of personal income per month in the significantly negative relationship between perceived built environment and depression was confirmed. That is, the health effect of perceived built environment on depression became weakened among people of higher income levels. This study added evidence for the health effect of perceived built environment on depression among Chinese elderly people. Additionally, individual income was identified as an important influencing factor in such effect. Discussion on the negative relationship between perceived built environment and depression, as well as the moderating effect of personal income in such relationship were presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the association between rural and urban residential mobility and cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults in China. Method: We used data from the World Health Organization Study on global AGEing and adult health that included adults age 50+ from China (N = 12,410). We used multivariate linear regressions to examine how residential mobility and age at migration were associated with cognitive function. Results: Urban and urban-to-urban residents had the highest level of cognitive function, whereas rural and rural-to-rural residents had the poorest cognitive function. Persons who migrated to/within rural areas before age 20 had poorer cognitive function than those who migrated during later adulthood. Socioeconomic factors played a major role in accounting for the disparities in cognition; however, the association remained significant after inclusion of all covariates. Discussion: Residential mobility and age at migration have significant implications for cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]