Citation

Zimmer Z, Korinek K, Chayovan N. J. Marriage Fam. 2008; 70(3): 585-598.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, National Council on Family Relations, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00507.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper examines interactions between older adults living in rural areas of Thailand and Cambodia and their adult children. Thai data come from the Survey of the Welfare of the Elderly (N= 3,202 older adults and 17,517 adult children). Cambodia data are from the Survey of the Elderly in Cambodia (N= 777 older adults and 3,751 adult children). Results indicate that older adults in rural areas are not being abandoned, and supportive expressions such as visits and provision of material goods depend on living proximity, characteristics that relate to the needs and dependency of the older adult, and the life circumstances of adult children. These findings support an extension of an altruistic perspective that incorporates notions of vulnerability of older adults.