Old and Young - The Crowding Out Effect of Children's Education in Three Generations on the Elderly Health: An Empirical Study Based on the Perspective of Urban-Rural

As primary aspects of household economic expenditure, children's education and elderly health are critical to family welfare and national well-being. However, with rapid socio-economic development, the conflict between these two priorities has become increasingly prominent. Addressing the challenge of achieving "coexistence of young and old" is essential for balanced and sustainable social development. Using data from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this paper empirically analyzes the impact of children's education on elderly health in household decision-making from the perspective of urban-rural heterogeneity. The findings are as follows: (1) In urban households, children's education exerts a significant crowding-out effect on elderly health, while this effect is not significant in rural households; (2) In urban households, children's education primarily affects elderly health by reducing economic support and emotional support for the elderly, mechanisms which do not exist in rural households; (3) The crowding-out effect of children's education on elderly health in urban and rural households varies significantly across income levels, household size, the education level of middle-aged individuals, and the gender of the elderly. Finally, this paper proposes targeted strategies to balance "childcare" and "elderly care" to ensure elderly health.