• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.23 no.1 s.73
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• pp.187-195
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of parent-to-child financial transfers and economic resources on financial transfers, caregiving, and time donated from middle-aged adult children to their elderly parents. Analyzing data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, which provides long-term observations of financial reciprocity and recent reports about elder care, the current study finds strong positive effects of prior parent-to-child financial transfers in the models of caregiving and time; which indicates the importance of reciprocity. In terms of determinants of resource transfers, the findings of logistic regression analyses suggest that the economic resources of parents and adult children are strong determinants of child-to-parent financial resource transfers. Sociodemographic characteristics of parents and respondents were observed as strong determinants of caregiving or time. In addition, caregiving responds more to the health and income levels of parents whereas donated time is responsive to the net worth of parents and parents' status. For adult children, gender is a strong determinant of both caregiving and time donation. The long-term health problem of adult children is a statistically significant predictor of caregiving, while the employment status of adult children and the number of siblings have statistically a significant association with time donated to care for the parents.