A MULTIVARIATE COMPARISON OF THE INVOLVEMENT OF ADULT SONS VERSUS DAUGHTERS IN THE CARE OF IMPAIRED PARENTS

The purpose of this research was to explore whether gender differences in parent care (i.e., the greater participation of daughters) persisted after controlling for additional caregiver and care-receiver characteristics known to affect the provision of care. Assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) was examined separately from assistance with instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). A multivariate analytical framework was employed to account for the effects of a wide range of variables. Moreover, data on all of the living children (N = 13,172) of a sample of impaired elders (N = 4,371) were used, not just data on those children who were known to be providing help. Net of other caregiver and care-receiver characteristics, daughters were 3.22 times more likely than sons to provide ADL assistance and 2.56 times more likely to provide IADL assistance. Although these results are not substantively different from previous research, the methodological approach taken provides a better empirical base for estimating the effect of gender on the probability of being involved in parent care.