Family Support Paradox: Exploring Family Support and Life Satisfaction Among Older Adults in Rural Eastern Nepal

This study investigated the relationship between family support (for daily activities and living) and life satisfaction among Nepali older adults, with an additional focus on gender differences. Data were drawn from a cross-sectional survey conducted in rural eastern Nepal through interviewing older adults aged 60 years and above. The total analytical sample for this study was 819. Life satisfaction was measured using Diener’s Satisfaction with Life Scale. Binary logistic regression was employed to explore the associations between reliance on family support and life satisfaction. About 57% of older adults were satisfied with their life. Older adults who relied on family support for daily activities had 51% lower odds of being satisfied with their lives compared to those who did not require such support (OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.35–0.69, p < 0.001). Gender did not moderate the relationship between family support for daily activities and life satisfaction, but interestingly, it moderated the relationship between family support for living and life satisfaction. Older men who relied on family support for living had 34% lower odds of experiencing life satisfaction compared to older women in similar situations (OR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.48–0.90, p < 0.05). This study emphasizes the need for further research to comprehensively understand the impact of family support on life satisfaction among older adults in societies driven by filial piety, focusing on underlying mechanisms to confirm this paradoxical relationship.