Health Of Grandchildren Research Articles

Variation in grandmaternal investment in Ukraine.

Grandmothers vary in their contributions to grandchildren based on their relatedness and the sex of the child. Maternal grandmothers decrease grandchildren's risk of mortality and increase grandchildren's health more significantly than paternal grandmothers, but limited evidence suggests that paternal grandmothers may invest more in female than male grandchildren. In this study, I test whether contact frequency between grandmothers and grandchildren is influenced by their relatedness (maternal vs paternal) or the sex of the child. This research was carried out in Ukraine because it is neither matrilocal nor patrilocal, and Ukrainian grandmothers are known to provide a high rate of childcare. This study included interviews with 60 grandmothers that asked about contact frequency with grandchildren, relatedness (maternal or paternal), and contact frequency between the grandchild and the other grandmother. A dataset generated for each grandchild (n = 128) included sex, age, and contact frequency with both maternal and paternal grandmothers. Linear mixed models were fit to the data to explore the relationship between grandmother relatedness and contact frequency. On average, maternal grandmothers saw their grandchildren 173.8 days/year, while paternal grandmothers saw their grandchildren 87.5 days/year (p < 0.001). The sex of the child was not a significant factor in determining contact frequency. In Ukraine, maternal grandmothers have more frequent contact with their grandchildren. This finding supports the idea that grandmaternal investment is an evolutionarily adaptive strategy. However, the bias towards maternal grandmothers may also be explained by a post-socialist cultural context, which necessitates grandmaternal care.

Paternal Orphanhood, Parental Illness, and Child’s Biological Relationship to Household Head: Their Impact on Child Health in Nigeria

Abstract This research fills a hole in the literature by investigating whether, in Nigeria, differences exist in the health of paternal orphans or vulnerable children depending on whether they have a close biological relationship with the household head compared to a distant relationship when health is measured through diarrhea, fever, and cough. The research analyzes the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey Data and employs a multi-level logistic regression as the model estimation technique. The results show that, regardless of the measure of child health, among paternal orphans or vulnerable children there is no significant difference in the health of grandchildren or children who are relatives/non-relatives of their household head in contrast to biological children of the household head. Further, results indicate that, among non-orphans or non-vulnerable children, there is a positive and statistically significant difference only in the odds of diarrhea for grandchildren compared to biological children. The devotion of foreign aid in social and health services in 2011–2013 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for only orphans and vulnerable children, alongside contributions from the Nigeria government and other organizations, alleviated poor health status among said children.

Motivations and challenges for grandparent–grandchild outdoor play in early childhood: Perception of Canadian grandparents

AbstractObjectiveWe investigated grandparents' motivations and challenges for grandparent–grandchild outdoor play with their 3‐ to 5‐year‐old grandchildren.BackgroundOutdoor play benefits children's and older persons' mental and physical health. Thus, intergenerational outdoor play could benefit both grandparents and their younger grandchildren.MethodSemistructured interviews were conducted with 14 grandparents (seven grandmothers and seven grandfathers) from British Columbia, Canada, who lived in the same province as their grandchildren and who were fluent in English. Grandparents were recruited using a convenience, purposive sampling method with social media advertisements, posters in community centers, and word of mouth.ResultsUsing a thematic analysis, we identified six themes: (a) improving grandparents' and grandchildren's health, (b) supporting children's needs, (c) feeling positive emotions, (d) supporting family closeness, (e) aspiring to go outdoors together, and, (f) maintaining the relationship despite the COVID‐19 pandemic.ConclusionOur study emphasizes the importance of outdoor play for grandparents, especially as they develop their relationship with their young grandchildren. Outdoor play provides a unique opportunity for a health‐boosting activity that also strengthens the relationship and family bonds, and supports grandchildren's developmental needs.ImplicationsOur research can contribute to promoting outdoor play across the life span, and more specifically the benefits of outdoor play during early childhood and older adulthood.

MODERATION OF CUSTODIAL GRANDPARENT’S WELLNESS AND GRANDCHILD'S BEHAVIOR BY RELATIONSHIP QUALITY

Abstract A growing number of grandparents are assuming care of their grandchildren, and both grandparents and children report higher levels of stress than their peers, although the source of this stress remains largely unexplored. In Conger &amp; Donnellan’s Family Stress Model, a parent’s distress can impact the levels of distress experienced by their child, and previous research indicates that parent/child relationship quality impacts children’s mental health. This study extended this to custodial grandfamilies, by investigating whether the relationship quality of custodial grandparents (GP) and grandchildren (GC) would moderate the relation between the health of GC and the wellness of their GP. Participants include 322 custodial grandparents within the United States recruited via Qualtrics Research Panel Survey (m age = 55.66 yr., 86.1% female). Measures included the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist, Kivnick’s Grandparent Meaning Scale, and grandparents’ wellness. Moderation of relationship quality on the relation between the GP’s wellness and internalizing behaviors of the GC was tested using SPSS’ Process macro. A significant interaction was found (t = 2.31, p = .02) wherein GP’s wellness was not predictive of changes in GC’s behavior for the group with high relationship quality, but greater GP wellness was associated with less GC internalizing behaviors when relationship quality was low (p &amp;lt; .001). These findings indicate that when a GP feels that they have a more positive relationship with their GC, there is a greater likelihood that they will report fewer health concerns and fewer GC’s internalizing behavior symptoms.

Transgenerational health effects of in utero exposure to economic hardship: Evidence from preindustrial Southern Norway

We studied whether in utero exposure to economic hardship during a grandmother’s pregnancy has a transgenerational effect on her grandchildren's health condition. We used an individual-level three-generation data set covering people born between 1734 and 1840 in the municipality of Rendalen in Norway. We found a culling effect in which grandchildren whose grandmothers gave birth in years of economic hardship lived approximately ten years longer than grandchildren whose mothers were born in years of economic well-being. This impact was only observed among the grandmothers who belong to the lowest social classes. Our results also showed that in higher social classes, economic hardship during a grandmother’s pregnancy deteriorated her grandchildren’s health by “scarring” the mother’s health.

When parents are not present: Decision-making dynamics for young children's health and illness in migrant-sending households in rural Cambodia

As migration rates increase globally, an increasing proportion of children in low- and middle-income countries live apart from their parents. In particular, skipped-generation households are becoming more common, with grandparents serving as primary caregivers for young grandchildren whose parents migrate and provide remittance support. Yet, how families living apart make decisions for young children's healthcare is not well understood. Processes of care seeking for children's health are examined in Cambodia, which has high rates of internal and international migration, and an increasing number of skipped-generation households. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with grandparents who are primary caregivers for children under ten in skipped-generation households in rural migrant-sending areas. Respondents discussed their family's migration history, care seeking and decision making for grandchildren, dynamics with absent migrant parents, and sources of support. Decisions for children's care are intimately tied to the availability of migrant remittances, which are the modality of the relationship between grandparents and parents. Additional remittance support allows grandparents to make decisions for grandchildren's health based on convenience rather than cost, given the burdens of caring grandparents have taken on a result of the parent's migration. Instrumental supports such as in-kind assistance and informational supports further facilitated children's access to healthcare. This qualitative study informs and explains findings from recent quantitative studies of migration and child health.

Grandparent caregiving in Cambodian skip-generation households: Roles and impact on child nutrition.

This study aims to understand nutrition‐related roles, responsibilities and ethical issues of grandparents caring for their grandchildren in skip‐generation households in rural Cambodia. Over the past decade, Cambodia has experienced a rise in economic migration of working age populations. This has resulted in increasing numbers of ‘skip‐generation’ households, in which grandparents and grandchildren co‐reside without parents, reflecting potential household vulnerability. This qualitative study involved in‐depth interviews and focus group discussions with Cambodian grandparents who were primary caregivers to grandchildren for six months or longer. A total of 39 grandparents were recruited at two sites in north‐west Cambodia. Interviews and focus group discussions were conducted in Khmer and were recorded, transcribed and translated into English. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Grandparents in this study looked after an average of three children, aged between two months and 18 years old. Overall, 40% were sole caregivers. Analysis showed that grandparents, particularly grandmothers, played a central role in their grandchildren's health and nutrition. Although grandchildren's health and nutrition were a major priority to grandparents, they reported facing significant challenges to safeguard their grandchildren's and their own nutritional needs. As a result, grandparents frequently faced difficult ethical trade‐offs and prioritised their grandchildren's health and nutrition over their own. This study highlights that in order to improve child nutrition, policies and interventions need to be designed in ways that support and enable grandparent caregivers to meet their grandchildren's health and nutritional needs without neglecting their own.

The association between grandparental poverty and grandchildren's health

Objective This study aimed to examine whether there is any remaining association between grandparental poverty and grandchildren's body mass index (BMI) and depression, after controlling for parental poverty and other parental characteristics.Methods Data used in this study were gathered through the Child Living Standard Survey (Kodomo no Seikatsu Jittai Chosa) conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan government in 2016. The survey questionnaires were mailed to all children in grades five, eight, and eleven who lived in four districts of Tokyo. Data for grades five and eight were used for analysis. First, the children were divided into four groups according to their grandparents' and mothers' poverty status, and their BMI and depression were compared. Then, structural equation modeling was used to fit a model where grandparental poverty was associated with parental poverty and parental BMI and depression, and they, in turn are associated with grandchildren's BMI and depression, as well as directly associated with them. BMI and Birleson Child Depression Scale (DSRS-C) were used for grandchildren, and BMI and K6 depression scale were used for parents.Results Children whose grandparents were poor but parents were not poor had a higher depression index than those who were not poor at all. However, the result did not hold for BMI. The goodness of fit of the SEM model was CFI=0.907, RMSEA=0.036 for BMI; CFI=0.810, RMSEA=0.037 for depression. The findings indicated that grandparental poverty was associated with grandchildren's BMI only through parental BMI, whereas for depression, grandparental poverty was associated with parental poverty and parental depression, which in turn were associated with grandchildren's depression. Furthermore, an association was found between grandparental poverty and grandchildren's depression even after controlling for parental poverty and parental depression.Conclusion Grandparental poverty is associated with grandchildren's depression through means other than parental poverty and parental depression. To combat this, it is necessary to not only adopt the "3-generation approach" which focuses on child and parent's current conditions, but also to implement policy to assist children when they become parents in the future. As for BMI, effective policies should be put into place to combat parents' and children's current weight problems.

Impact of a community-based intervention on Latino grandparents' knowledge about and self-efficacy in supporting grandchildren's physical activities.

Latino grandparents are often involved in rearing grandchildren, but their roles in promoting children's physical activity (PA) have been largely overlooked. This study examined the impact of a community-based intervention called Nietos Activos y Saludables (Active and Healthy Grandchildren) on Latino grandparents' knowledge about and self-efficacy in supporting grandchildren's (aged 2-12 years) PA. The Spanish language intervention, consisting of 4 weekly sessions, was delivered to 12 Latino grandparents (primarily female, aged > 60 years) in Los Angeles County from October to November 2017. Pre- and posttest surveys and postintervention focus groups assessed the intervention impact. Participants indicated that the intervention provided useful information. After intervention sessions, participants achieved a higher score in test on PA requirements for children. They also reported greater knowledge about children's PA, local resources for children's PA, and modifying children's behavior. Additionally, participants reported greater confidence in motivating children in PA and collaborating with parents in promoting children's PA. Results of focus groups generally confirmed the quantitative findings. Nietos Activos y Saludables intervention has the promise to increase Latino grandparents' knowledge about and self-efficacy in supporting grandchildren's PA. Future studies should test the impact of the intervention on grandparents' behavior and grandchildren's health outcomes using a randomized controlled trial. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Intergenerational effects of old-age pension on children's health and well-being.

This study estimates the impacts of the basic old-age pension reform in South Korea on childhood/adolescent health and well-being. Facing a rapidly aging population and the increasing demand for social security for the elderly, the government introduced the basic pension program in 2007, which covered 70% of citizens 65 years or older. Information is obtained from a nationally representative panel of school-aged children from 2006 to 2012. A difference-in-differences approach exploiting within-person variation in exposure to the old-age pension program is used. The unconditional cash transfers for the elderly have substantial impacts on the health of grandchildren. In particular, there is gender-specific differential impacts. While grandmothers' pensions have positive impacts on granddaughters' heights and drinking participation, grandfathers' pension incomes lower smoking participation of grandsons. Results suggest that grandmothers and grandfathers put their resources for their grandchildren in a different way. It also indicates that household is not a unitary entity.

Invited Commentary: Multigenerational Social Determinants of Health—Opportunities and Challenges.

An emerging area of social epidemiology examines the relationship between grandparental education and grandchild health. In an accompanying article, Huang et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2015;182(7):568-578) join the small but growing body of research on this topic. It is useful to contextualize Huang et al.'s work within the much larger body of research examining relationships between education and health within a single generation or across 2 generations. These investigators have generally concluded that higher educational attainment is robustly associated with better health. There are many potential mechanisms through which education and other social exposures may affect health outcomes in a single generation or across generations, and estimating direct and indirect effects can be helpful for assessing specific mechanisms. Researchers conducting multigenerational analyses are faced with several challenges, including limited availability of data for some measures (e.g., educational attainment, and sometimes for 1 grandparent only), limited age ranges of participants, disparate social and political contexts in which study participants of different generations have lived, and patterns of social class reproduction. We encourage future researchers to weave together the careful analytical considerations illustrated by Huang et al. with a rich understanding of the social context for each of the generations studied to help overcome these challenges and advance our understanding of multigenerational social determinants of health.

Associations of grandparental schooling with adult grandchildren's health status, smoking, and obesity.

Despite persistent schooling-related health disparities in the United States, little is known about the multigenerational effects of schooling on adult health. As expected lifespans increase, direct influences of grandparental schooling on grandchildren's health may become increasingly important. We used multigenerational data spanning 41 years from a national sample of US families to investigate associations of grandparents' educational attainment with global health status, smoking, and obesity in their grandchildren who were aged 25-55 years in 2009. We estimated total effects of grandparental schooling and, by using marginal structural models, we estimated controlled direct effects that were independent of parents' and participants' schooling. Among whites, lower levels of grandparental schooling were monotonically associated with poor health status, current smoking, and obesity in adult grandchildren. There was also evidence suggesting direct effects, which was stronger for poor health status among participants whose highest-educated grandparent lived in the same state. Among blacks, the only association suggesting a total or direct effect of grandparental schooling was for smoking. Despite the relative imprecision of our estimates and possible residual bias, these results suggest that higher levels of grandparental schooling may benefit the health of grandchildren in adulthood, especially among whites. Furthermore, part of those apparent effects, especially for obesity, may not be mediated by parents' and grandchildren's schooling.