This study examined discrepancies in aging parents’ and middle-aged children’s evaluations of aging parents’ problems and how these discrepancies were associated with relationship characteristics. Using data from the Family Exchanges Study (dyad N = 331), discrepancies in the parents’ disabilities and life problems reported by parents and their offspring were examined. Children reported a greater number of disabilities and life problems in their parents’ lives than parents did. The discrepancy in the number of disabilities was associated with the frequency of phone contact, but not the frequency of in-person contact between generations. Findings confirm the gap in the evaluations of parents’ problems between generations, indicating that children may overestimate their parents’ problems, whereas parents may underreport their own problems. Frequent phone calls between aging parents and middle-aged children seem to play a positive role in conveying aging parents’ problems. The gap in knowledge of parents’ problems may lead to unmet needs and/or undesirable support exchanges between parents and offspring. Future research needs to consider both generations’ reports and to develop reliable methods to assess parents’ problems.

中文翻译：

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高龄父母和中年子女对父母残疾和生活问题的评价


本研究探讨了年迈父母和中年儿童对年迈父母问题的评估差异，以及这些差异与关系特征之间的关系。使用家庭交流研究（二元组N = 331）的数据，对父母及其子女报告的父母残疾和生活问题的差异进行了检查。与父母相比，儿童在父母的生活中报告了更多的残疾和生活问题。残疾人数的差异与电话联系的频率有关，但与代际之间面对面接触的频率无关。研究结果证实了代际间对父母问题评估的差距，表明孩子可能高估父母的问题，而父母可能低估自己的问题。年迈的父母与中年子女之间的频繁通话，似乎对传达年迈父母的问题起到了积极的作用。对父母问题的了解差距可能会导致父母与子女之间的需求得不到满足和/或不良的支持交换。未来的研究需要考虑两代人的报告，并开发可靠的方法来评估父母的问题。