Relation Between Social Support and Disability among China's Older Adults: Evidence from 2020 CHARLS

Economic growth and advancements in healthcare have led to a significant demographic shift towards ageing in China, posing considerable challenges in the care of disabled older adults. Amidst this backdrop, social support has been reliably linked to health outcomes, providing both physical and mental benefits. This study, therefore, explores the relationship between social support and disability within China's older adult population. This study aimed to identify how social support influences the prevalence of disability and to determine the key factors associated with disability among China's older adult population. In this study, 6,142 participants aged 45 and over were selected from the 2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Disability status was evaluated using the Physical Self-Maintenance Scale (PSMS). The data collected were analysed using logistic regression to identify the key influencing factors. The analysis reveals that a history of falls, gender, and marital status are robust predictors of disability.