Variable definition and statistical summary
| Variable | Definition | Mean | Std. | Obs. |
| Self-reported health | Very good=5; good=4; fair=3; poor=2; very poor=1. | 2.999 | 0.902 | 13 486 |
| Activities of daily living limitations | The number of ADL limitation problems (from 0 to 10). | 0.367 | 1.260 | 17 352 |
| Cadre child | If the respondent has at least one child working as a cadre in the government=1; otherwise=0. | 0.049 | – | 17 352 |
| Lower ranking | If the cadre child holds an administrative rank of ‘Ke’ level or below=1; otherwise,=0. | 0.026 | – | 17 352 |
| Higher ranking | If the cadre child holds an administrative rank of ‘Chu’ level or above=1; otherwise=0. | 0.024 | – | 17 352 |
| Professional child | If the respondent has at least one child holding a professional title without administrative rank=1; otherwise=0. | 0.012 | 0.291 | 17 352 |
| Manager child | If the respondent has at least one child who works as manager but does not have administrative rank in his or her work units=1; otherwise=0. | 0.093 | 0.291 | 17 352 |
| Social integration | The frequency of social interactions. | 1.287 | 1.790 | 17 352 |
| Age | The age of elderly respondent in years. | 59.047 | 10.127 | 17 321 |
| Age square | The square of age. | – | – | 17 321 |
| Female | If the elderly respondent is female=1; If male=0. | 0.479 | – | 17 340 |
| Unmarried | If the elderly respondent is unmarried=1; otherwise=0. | 0.009 | – | 17 352 |
| Divorced | If the elderly respondent is divorced=1; otherwise=0. | 0.013 | ||
| Widowed | If the elderly respondent is widowed=1; otherwise=0. | 0.106 | ||
| Education | The education of the elderly respondent in years. | 5.293 | 4.339 | 17 322 |
| Number of living children | The number of living children of the elderly respondent. | 2.643 | 1.448 | 17 352 |
| Depression | The number of depressive symptoms (from 0 to 8). | 2.268 | 1.938 | 17 352 |
| Chronic diseases | The number of chronic diseases that the elderly respondent has been diagnosed with (from 0 to 14). | 1.362 | 1.393 | 17 352 |
| Log of financial assets | The logarithm of family financial assets. | 4.003 | 5.666 | 16 416 |
| Local elite | If the elderly respondent was former government employee, former village head, former manager in firm or self-employed entrepreneur with an annual income above the average level of the self-employed group=1; otherwise=0. | 0.050 | 0.219 | 17 352 |
| Rural | If the elderly respondent is living in the rural (yes=1). | 0.767 | – | 17 352 |
| Plain area | Whether the community is in a plain area (yes=1). | 0.958 | – | 17 318 |
| Paved road | Whether the roads in community are paved (yes=1). | 0.447 | – | 17 352 |