China's rapidly aging population, coupled with its transition from absolute to relative and multidimensional poverty, necessitates a focus on poverty alleviation among the elderly. Traditional Confucian values emphasizing filial piety have historically influenced intergenerational support, but societal changes such as family miniaturization and increased population mobility challenge this system. This study addresses the critical question of whether and how intergenerational support impacts the multidimensional poverty of older adults in China. Understanding this relationship is crucial for consolidating poverty eradication achievements and preventing a return to poverty, enhancing the development capacity of vulnerable elderly groups, and achieving common prosperity. Existing research on multidimensional poverty in old age has primarily focused on identifying multidimensional poverty indicators, measuring multidimensional poverty, and exploring influencing factors, but less attention has been paid to the impact of various types of intergenerational support in the context of shifting filial culture. This study aims to fill this gap by utilizing a large national sample and employing rigorous quantitative methods.

The literature review highlights the evolution of poverty measurement from a single economic dimension to multidimensional approaches, incorporating physical, mental, and economic conditions, as per Amartya Sen's capability theory. Existing studies have explored the impact of intergenerational support on single dimensions of poverty or have examined the effects of one type of support on multiple dimensions. However, comprehensive studies exploring the effects of different types of intergenerational support on different dimensions of poverty among older adults, while considering the moderating role of social security mechanisms, are scarce. This study seeks to address these limitations by providing a detailed analysis of the effects of financial, caregiving, and emotional support on economic, health, spiritual, and rights-based poverty among the elderly.

This study uses data from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), a nationally representative survey of individuals aged 65 and older. After removing samples with missing or inconsistent data, a total of 8061 valid observations were used for the analysis. The dependent variables include multidimensional poverty (defined as having at least two out of four dimensions of poverty: economic, health, spiritual, and rights), as well as each individual dimension of poverty. Economic poverty is measured by whether the respondents feel their livelihood is sufficient; health poverty is measured by self-rated health status; spiritual poverty is measured by feelings of loneliness; and rights poverty is measured by the extent to which individuals can make their own decisions. The key explanatory variables are three dimensions of intergenerational support: economic support (logarithm of cash or in-kind support from children), emotional support (whether children are among the people the respondent talks to most often), and caregiving support (whether children provide care when the respondent is unwell). The moderating variable is the presence of a social security program. Control variables include demographic characteristics of the elderly, characteristics of their children, household characteristics, and regional characteristics. A binary logit regression model is used to estimate the effects of intergenerational support on multidimensional poverty and its different dimensions. Further analysis explores the moderating effects of social security programs by separating the sample into groups with and without social security participation. Robustness checks are performed using propensity score matching, sample replacement, and model replacement (probit regression) to ensure the reliability of the findings.

The study reveals a significant overall incidence of multidimensional poverty among the elderly (15.7%), with spiritual poverty having the highest prevalence (26.1%). Financial and caregiving support from children show limited impact on multidimensional poverty, except for a significant negative effect of financial support on rights poverty and a significant positive effect of caregiving support on rights poverty. In contrast, emotional support exhibits a significant negative effect on multidimensional poverty, economic poverty, health poverty, and spiritual poverty, demonstrating its crucial role in alleviating multiple dimensions of poverty. The presence of social security programs significantly moderates the relationship between intergenerational support and multidimensional poverty. Specifically, the effect of financial support is more pronounced among those without social security, while the effect of emotional support is stronger among those with social security. Robustness tests using propensity score matching and model replacement confirm the significant negative effect of emotional support on multidimensional poverty.

The findings underscore the evolving nature of poverty among China's elderly population, shifting from primarily material deprivation to including spiritual well-being. The limited impact of financial and caregiving support highlights the need to move beyond solely material assistance. The significant positive effect of emotional support demonstrates the vital role of social connection and psychological well-being in alleviating multidimensional poverty. The moderating role of social security suggests that robust social safety nets can complement intergenerational support, reducing reliance on children for financial assistance and simultaneously increasing the importance of emotional support. These findings offer valuable insights into the complexities of poverty in an aging society and the evolving nature of intergenerational support.

This study's key contribution lies in highlighting the crucial role of emotional support in mitigating multidimensional poverty among older adults in China, alongside the moderating influence of social security programs. Future research could further explore the specific mechanisms underlying the effects of emotional support, investigate the differences in intergenerational support across urban and rural settings, and analyze the long-term consequences of different types of intergenerational support on older adults' well-being. Policy implications include strengthening social security systems, promoting family and community-based emotional support initiatives, and implementing targeted interventions to address the specific needs of vulnerable elderly populations.

The study's limitations include the cross-sectional nature of the data, which prevents causal inference, and the reliance on self-reported measures of poverty and intergenerational support. Further research using longitudinal data and incorporating objective measures could strengthen the findings. The analysis treats urban and rural elderly as a single group, neglecting potential heterogeneity. Future research should examine the differences in the relationship between intergenerational support and multidimensional poverty among urban and rural elderly.