Like Parent, Like Child? Aging Anxiety Among Married Korean Baby Boomers

Abstract

Objectives: How intergenerational relationships influence individuals' views on aging remains understudied. This study investigated how multiple older family members' health and financial challenges may shape middle-aged adults' aging anxiety. Method: Married Korean baby boomers (N = 1,389) from the Korean Baby Boomer Panel Study reported on their own aging anxiety and rated each of their living parents' and in-laws' health and financial conditions. Using structural equation modeling, we examined how parents' and in-laws' health and financial challenges are associated with one's aging anxiety, and whether gender and frequency of intergenerational contact moderate the link. We expected worse health or financial conditions to be associated with higher levels of aging anxiety, and the effect to be more pronounced for women and those with more contact. Results: A worse financial condition of the poorest parent/in-law was associated with higher levels of aging anxiety, while worse health condition of the unhealthiest parent/in-law was associated with lower levels of aging anxiety. The same results were found when we considered the sum of all living parents' and in-laws' financial and health conditions. Frequency of contact moderated the effect of the financial condition of the poorest parent/in-law, such that individuals reporting more contact with the poorest parent/in-law showed higher levels of aging anxiety than those with less contact. There was no moderating effect of gender. Discussion: The findings highlight the role family ties play in shaping one's aging anxiety. Interventions aimed at improving views on aging through intergenerational interactions should target the quality of the intergenerational experience.