Grandmother Caregivers Research Articles

KELANTING INNOVATION (GRAND MOTHER CLASS OF CARE STUNTING ) EDUCATION AND LOCAL FOOD DIVERSIFIED IN PREVENTING STUNTING SIDOBANDUNG, BALEN, BOJONEGORO REGENCY

Nutrition problems are still a concern for the Indonesian government to be resolved immediately, one of which is the problem of stunting. , Bojonegoro Regency's stunting prevalence rate is 23.9 percent, making Bojonegoro the district with the 13th highest stunting prevalence of 38 districts and cities in East Java. The prevalence of stunting which is still quite high can affect Indonesia's development performance because stunting has an impact on children's health status so that children become vulnerable to illness and has an impact on children's intelligence and quality of life, so handling it is still a government priority. The innovation of the KELANTING program (Stunting Caring Grandmother Class) is present by involving academics who act as references for solving problems based on research results (based on research) in the field of midwifery and nursing. So that it is able to increase the understanding of the community, especially grandmother caregivers, so that they are able to carry out care appropriately and get used to it. children to consume foods with balanced contents. The Klanting Program is carried out with Local Food Education and Diversification in Sidobandung Village, Balen District, Bojonegoro Regency" as a pilot project for community-based stunting prevention efforts. This activity is carried out by involving 25 grandmothers who care for toddlers by carrying out outreach and education. After the Klanting activity was carried out, there was an increase in the understanding and knowledge of grandmother caregivers regarding parenting styles and food diversification to prevent stunting, namely 72% of grandmother caregivers after the clanting activity had good knowledge, compared to previously only 28%. This shows that there is an increase in the percentage of understanding and knowledge of grandmothers who care for toddlers about parenting patterns of grandmothers and local food diversification in order to increase toddlers' interest in eating food diversity and the use of local food which can prevent stunting in toddlers.

Healthy Outcomes through Peer Educators: Feasibility of a peer support diabetes prevention programme for African-American grandmother caregivers.

To assess the protocol feasibility and intervention acceptability of a community-based, peer support diabetes prevention programme (DPP) for African-American (AA) grandmother caregivers at risk for diabetes. Grandmother caregivers were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to DPP (active comparator) or DPP plus HOPE (Healthy Outcomes through Peer Educators; intervention). DPP + HOPE incorporated support from a peer educator who met with participants in person or by telephone every week during the 1-year intervention. Outcomes included: (1) recruitment rates, outcome assessment, and participation adherence rates assessed quantitatively; and (2) acceptability of the programme assessed through end-of-programme focus groups. We successfully consented and enrolled 78% (n = 35) of the 45 AA grandmothers screened for eligibility. Eighty percent of participants (aged 64.4 ± 5.7 years) were retained up to Week 48 (74% for DPP [n = 17] and 92% for DPP + HOPE [n = 11]). All grandmothers identified social support, neighbourhood safety, and access to grocery stores as influences on their health behaviours. At Month 12, the active comparator (DPP) group and the intervention group (DPP + HOPE) had a mean change in body weight from baseline of -3.5 ± 5.5 (-0.68, -6.29) kg and - 4.4 ± 5.7 (-0.59, -8.2) kg, respectively. This viable study met the aim of educating and equipping AA grandmothers with the practical and sustained support needed to work toward better health for themselves and their grandchildren, who may be at risk for diabetes. The intervention was both feasible and acceptable to participating grandmothers and their organizations.

The Role of Custodial Grandparenting on Grandmother Well-Being: Examining Protective Factors and Positive Outcomes

ABSTRACT There is robust literature regarding the negative impact of custodial grandparent caregiving on grandparent well-being, but limited examination of potential positive implications of the caregiving role. This study aimed to examine the effects of custodial grandmother caregiving on psychological well-being and to understand the role of adaptive skills and resources in moderating these effects. Custodial grandmothers positive affect was similar to their peers. Custodial caregiving was associated with decreased purpose in life (β=-.18, p = .01), and increased negative affect (β=.14, p = .03). Perceived support buffered the role of caregiving on negative affect, and custodial grandmothers with high levels of perceived support did not experience more negative affect than their peers. Custodial grandmothers positive affect is a strength that warrants further exploration, and perceived social support is an important resource for buffering negative outcomes.

DEPRESSIVE COGNITIONS AND SYMPTOMS IN CAREGIVING GRANDMOTHERS: TESTING GROWTH CURVE MODEL STABILITY

Abstract Grandmothers caring for grandchildren have elevated depressive symptoms levels compared to grandmothers who do not provide care. Depressive symptoms are state-like in nature and describe recent depressive symptoms. The Depressive Cognition Scale© captures changes in negative thinking patterns that often precede depressive symptoms. Depressive cognitions, according to Beck’s theory of depression, are the first depressive symptoms to appear and typically lead to more serious symptoms of depression. Previously diagnosed depression may also contribute to current levels of depressive cognitions and depressive symptoms. Data were collected on 342 participants in a longitudinal nationwide online research study of caregiving grandmothers. A latent growth curve model of how previously diagnosed depression and depressive cognitions impacted the trajectory of depressive symptoms at four time points (baseline, 2 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks) was tested. The model fit the data well (Chi Square=24.301.; df=12; p=.019; TLI=.977; CFI=.987; RMSEA=.055). This model was submitted to 6 separate multigroup nested model tests (levels of income, education, age, employment, number of children, and primary vs. multigeneration families) to provide evidence supporting generalizability of the model. All models fit the data well (TLI=.960-.991; CFI=.973-.992; RMSEA=.051-.025). Total invariance/stability, based on nonsignificant changes in chi square and CFI<.01, was supported in the multigroup analyses across all levels testing equality in measurement and regression weights and residual variances. This lack of change in the model across 6 different grandmother scenarios provides further evidence supporting the need for interventions to address diagnosed depression and depressive cognitions for reducing depressive symptoms in grandmother caregivers.

FAMILY FUNCTIONING: BRIDGING THE RELATION BETWEEN GRANDFAMILY HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

Abstract In research, it is important to utilize theories to ask and answer questions about a specific phenomenon. In grandfamily research, there is a need to utilize theory as a bridge to understanding the relationship between family functioning and grandfamily health and well-being. In this symposium, four presentations will discuss their work related to grandfamily well-being and how it was guided by theory. In Scott and Nadorff, Bowen’s Family Systems theory is used as a framework for examining the extent to which agreement on values and beliefs moderates the relation between intergenerational emotional closeness and well-being in the grandparent generation. Findings demonstrated that affectual solidarity rating and religious ideological differences between grandparents and grandchildren influenced grandparents’ well-being. Yancura & Barnett utilized the family life course framework in their study to examine how intergenerational conflict between the grandchildren’s parents and the caregiving grandparents predicted stress and depression in grandparent caregivers. Ye and Smith incorporated the family stress model that was developed by Conger and colleagues in their study. Findings suggested parenting practice profiles related differentially to the well-being of caregivers and the emotional and behavioral outcomes of the grandchildren. Musil, Jeanblanc, Zauszniewski, and Burant used McCubbin’s Resiliency Model of Family stress to examine how demographics, family demands, problem-solving/coping, resources, and situational appraisals affect depressive symptoms in grandmother caregivers. The inclusion of theory in these studies is significant. Without theory, study findings are nothing more than a pile of findings. Theory helps organize these findings in a meaningful way. This is a Grandparents as Caregivers Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

Determinants of caregiving grandparents’ physical activity and sedentary behavior: a qualitative study using focus group discussions

BackgroundEvidence on the factors influencing physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in middle-aged and older adults taking care of their grandchild(ren) is limited, even though this knowledge seems imperative when considering the unique relationship between grandparents and their grandchild(ren) as well as the rising popularity of intergenerational interventions targeting these energy-expenditure related behaviors. Therefore, this explorative qualitative study aimed to identify the determinants of PA and SB levels among Flemish caregiving grandparents in the presence of their grandchild(ren) aged between 0–5 years.MethodsSix online focus group discussions were conducted via Microsoft Teams, all of which were audio- and videotaped with permission granted by the participating grandparents. In total, nine caregiving grandfathers and 28 caregiving grandmothers (overall mean age = 60.9 ± 4.1y) participated in this study. An inductive content analysis approach was used to derive subcategories, categories and themes from the verbatim transcribed data using NVivo R1.ResultsCaregiving grandparents’ levels of PA and SB were both influenced by personal determinants (e.g., physical health, grandparental perceptions and responsibilities), interpersonal determinants (e.g., characteristics of the grandchild(ren), such as age-related physical/motor development and family interaction), and environmental determinants (e.g., weather and seasonal circumstances). PA levels of caregiving grandparents were further affected by additional personal determinants (e.g., age of the grandparent, planning and location) and interpersonal determinants (e.g., characteristics of the grandchild(ren), such as new experiences of the grandchild(ren)). Additionally, some personal determinants (e.g., perception of educational value) and interpersonal determinants (e.g., characteristics of the grandchild(ren), such as age-related cognitive development and health of the grandchild(ren)) were strictly mentioned to influence caregiving grandparents’ SB.ConclusionsAcknowledging the unique relationship between grandparents and their grandchild(ren), the current study identified specific factors determining grandparents’ PA and SB levels during the provision of grandchild care. Besides, it turned out of importance to take the interplay between the different determinants into account. Especially, for those grandparents with older grandchild(ren), within the studied 0–5 years age range, more attention should be paid to grandchild characteristics as part of the interpersonal determinants when setting up interventions to improve levels of PA and SB in caregiving grandparents.

Grandmothers as Primary Caregivers for Their Grandchildren in Uganda: Challenges Faced and Potential for a Sustainable Livelihood Intervention.

Global drivers of health, such as poverty, climate change, and public health crises, pose significant impact on many vulnerable groups, such as grandmother-caregivers (GMCs). Engaging community partners in this problem could help in understanding salient issues and devising solutions to alleviate the challenges faced by GMCs. The purpose of the current study was to engage community members in rural Uganda in identifying challenges experienced by GMCs and explore the potential for a sustainable livelihood for this population. We used a community-engaged ethnographic methodology for our qualitative study, which was informed by the Sustainable Livelihood Framework. Themes emerged in two domains: GMC Challenges and Potential for Sustainable Livelihoods and Intervention Recommendations. The challenges experienced by GMCs are multifaceted as are the potential solutions. Our findings have the potential to inform community development interventions that support the livelihoods and well-being of GMCs in Uganda and similar settings. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 17(1), 43-52.].

Grandmothers residing with grandchildren: Social determinants of health, health behaviors, and health outcomes

The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between social determinants of health, health behaviors, and physical and mental health among African American and Hispanic caregiving grandmothers. We use cross-sectional secondary data from the Chicago Community Adult Health Study, originally designed to understand the health of individual households based on residential context. In a multivariate regression model, discrimination, parental stress, and physical health problems were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in caregiving grandmothers. Considering the multiple sources of stress experienced by this grandmother sample, researchers should develop and strengthen contextually relevant interventions for improving the health of caregiving grandmothers. Healthcare providers must be equipped with skills to address caregiving grandmothers’ unique needs related to stress. Finally, policy makers should promote the development of legislation that can positively influence caregiving grandmothers and their families. Expanding the lens through which caregiving grandmothers living in minoritized communities are viewed can catalyze meaningful change.

DEPRESSION, DEPRESSIVE COGNITIONS, AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN CAREGIVING GRANDMOTHERS: A GROWTH CURVE MODEL

Abstract Grandmothers caring for grandchildren have elevated levels of depressive symptoms compared to grandmothers who do not provide care. Depressive symptoms are state-like in nature and describe recent depressive symptoms. The Depressive Cognition Scale© captures changes in negative thinking patterns that often precede depressive symptoms. Depressive cognitions, according to Beck’s theory of depression, are the first depressive symptoms to appear and typically lead to more serious symptoms of depression. Specifically, depressive cognitions reflect negative thinking patterns. Previously diagnosed depression may contribute to current levels of depressive cognitions and depressive symptoms. Data were collected on 342 participants in a longitudinal nationwide online research study of caregiving grandmothers. A latent growth curve model was used to track the trajectory of depressive symptoms at four time points (baseline, 2 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks). This latent growth curve model was tested to gain an understanding of how diagnosed depression and depressive cognitions impact the trajectory of depressive symptoms over time. The model fit the data well (Chi Square=24.301.; df=12; p=.019; TLI=.977; CFI=.987; RMSEA=.055). Baseline depressive cognitions strongly impacted the intercept (Standardized Beta=.65, p<.001) and the slope of depressive symptoms (Standardized Beta=-.65, p<.001), diagnosed depression predicted depressive cognitions (Standardized Beta =.32, p<.001) and the intercept of depressive symptoms (Standardized Beta=.36, p<.001). The continued impact of diagnosed depression and depressive cognitions over 24 weeks indicates the need for potential interventions to further address diagnosed depression and depressive cognitions as a way to decrease depressive symptoms in grandmother caregivers.

CHRONIC PHYSICAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, AND SELF-RATED HEALTH IN GRANDMOTHERS

Abstract Grandmothers often participate in caregiving to grandchildren, ranging from informal caregiving to having responsibility for raising grandchildren, but health problems may affect their ability to do so. To better understand potential health problems in grandmother caregivers, this secondary analysis examined 1) longitudinal relationships between chronic physical health conditions, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health with race, age, & marital status, and 2) causal ordering of depressive symptoms and self-rated health, controlling for baseline race, age, marital status, and chronic conditions of 328 Ohio grandmothers across 3 time points over 2 years. The study was guided using Lenz’s Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms. Measures included chronic physical health conditions (modified Charlson), depressive symptoms (CES-D), self-rated health (SF-36), and demographic variables of race (white/nonwhite), age, and marital status (married-partnered/not married). Analyses included correlations and structural equation modeling. Pearson product moment correlations indicated significant relationships (ranging from 0.26 to 0.56) between chronic conditions, depressive symptoms and self-rated health at all three time points. Next, a bivariate autoregressive model was tested using structural equation modeling. The data fit the model well. The goodness of fit results included: Chi square=55.39, TLI=0.94, CFI=0.97, and RMSEA=0.07. Results indicated consistency of depressive symptoms and self-rated health over time, and these were affected by chronic conditions; the causal order indicated that self-rated health impacts depressive symptoms. This study contributes new knowledge about the relationships and causal sequence of self-rated health and depressive symptoms. Implications on practice and research are discussed.

Mothers' and grandmothers' caregiving for young children in Chile: Roles and responsibilities.

Chile has the highest rates of grandparent caregiving of young children among Western countries. However, there is limited information on (a) how mothers and grandmothers share caregiving responsibilities, (b) if mother's care for children differs across different types of grandmother support, and (c) the perceived roles that grandmothers have as caregivers. Through a mixed-methods approach, we seek to explore the areas mentioned above. Using a nationally representative survey (N = 4,288), we compare the frequency with which mothers participate in activities with their children ages 1-5 years by the degree of grandmother participation. We find that mothers participate in activities with their children and in their functional care at similar levels across grandmother caregiving types. The main exception is mothers with coresiding grandmothers taking a secondary caregiver role: These mothers reported a higher frequency of activities with their children than mothers with other types of grandmother involvement, even those who had majority caregiving or irregular caregiving grandmothers. In-depth interviews with mothers and grandmothers reveal how they share the caregiving responsibilities, which depend on the mother's work status, with families with working mothers having more involved grandmothers. The grandmother's level of responsibilities, in turn, seems to shape their perceived role as caregivers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Depressive Cognitions Impact On A Latent Growth Curve Model Of Depressive Symptoms In Caregiving Grandmothers

Grandmothers caring for grandchildren have elevated levels of depressive symptoms compared to grandmothers who do not provide care. While the CES-D measures the somatic, positive and negative affect, and interpersonal strain symptoms experienced with depression, the Depressive CognitionScale © captures the change in cognitive thinking that often precedes depression. Depressive symptoms, on the other hand, are state like in nature and describe depressive symptoms that have happened recently. While depressive cognitions, according to Beck’s theory of depression, are the first negative thought processes to appear, these typically lead to other, more serious symptoms of depression. Specifically, depressive cognitions reflect negative thinking patterns and not depression. Data were collected on 343 participants in a longitudinal nationwide online research study of caregiving grandmothers. A latent growth curve model was used to track the trajectory of depressive symptoms at four time points (baseline, 2 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks). As depressive cognitions are the precursor to the development of depressive symptoms, a latent growth curve model was tested to gain an understanding of how depressive cognitions impacts the trajectory of depressive symptoms over time. The model fit the data well (Chi Square=21.025; df=9; p=.013; TLI=.976; CFI=.985; RMSEA=.063). Baseline depressive cognitions had a strong impact on the intercept (Standardized Beta=.76, p<.001) and the slope of depressive symptoms (Standardized Beta=-.67, p<.001). The continued impact of depressive cognitions over 24 weeks indicates the need for potential interventions to further address depressive cognitions as a way to decrease depressive symptoms in grandmother caregivers.

Resourcefulness Skills Use by Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren: A Longitudinal Case Study Approach

In the U.S., over 2.7 million grandparents are primary caregivers to grandchildren. It is critical to understand the experiences of grandparent caregivers to design tailored, supportive programs. Our aim was to analyze 4 weeks of daily online journals of 129 grandmothers with respect to their use of a set of Resourcefulness Skills© following web-based skills training. Using a thematic analysis approach, coding was completed by a three person team using NVIVO 12. Percent agreement among coders was over 90% (Kappa = .956). Twelve cases were randomly selected for case study development. Comparative case study analysis was used to look within and across cases for instances where skills were used and how skill use changed over time. The pattern of skill use showed that grandmother caregivers used resourcefulness skills to deal with the grandchild’s behavior and developmental issues as well as within the entire family system to manage conflicted relationships with the grandchild’s parents, balance relationships with their spouse/partner, and maintain relationships with other relatives. Case studies will be presented to show skill use over the four weeks of journaling in the context of the family system, as well as the strategies used by participants who improved skill use over time and those who faced barriers to skill use. Findings highlight the use of journals as a means to assess enactment fidelity of treatment interventions and the importance of the family network in skills training program implementation and ways to help grandmothers make use of skills training in the family setting.

Management and Analysis of Large Qualitative Data Sets: Lessons Learned From Daily Journals for a Behavioral RCT

As part of a national RCT of a resourcefulness skills training intervention, 342 grandmother caregivers, completed daily online journals for 4 weeks, reporting “challenges or difficulties you faced today with your grandchildren or other family members and how you handled them.” In this paper, we describe the challenges and benefits of using an entirely online design for the distribution and collection of daily journals. We used NVIVO-12 Plus to perform directed content analysis to assess intervention enactment fidelity and compare content between intervention (trained in and prompted to discuss skills) and control groups. Over 92%(n=317) of participants completed daily journals. There was variation in reporting of skill use between groups: 36% of controls spontaneously used the skill “seek professional help” whereas only 4% of the control group reported the skill “change from usual reaction”. With careful management, qualitative data from large samples can be obtained and effectively analyzed for fidelity.

Process-Outcome Relationships and Solution-Based Goal-Setting Interventions With Grandparent Caregivers.

The present study examines the impact of change processes on outcomes in a solution-based thinking and goal-setting intervention for grandparents raising their grandchildren. We found that across the 6 program sessions there was stability and/or increases in the salience of hypothesized change processes, i.e., hopefulness about the future, solution-based thinking, positive thoughts about one's grandchild, multiple indicators of decisional personal goal-setting regarding one's own well-being and grandchild relationship quality. Indicators of change processes were for the most part, related to both post-program outcomes as well as to pre-post program outcome difference scores. Regression analyses suggested that change processes in many cases partially mediated pre-post primary program outcome scores. These data suggest that how grandmother caregivers think about themselves and their grandchildren and their approach to setting personal goals are key change processes explaining the impact of a solution-based, goal-setting intervention on them.

Grandchild Care and Well-Being: Gender Differences in Mental Health Effects of Caregiving Grandparents.

The literature on the gendered differences of mental health as a result of grandchild care has shown mixed results. Research on grandchild care further suggests that nonresidential grandchild care improves mental health outcomes, while residential grandchild care arrangements decrease mental health outcomes in grandparents. The moderating or buffering role of social engagement remains understudied in the grandchild care-mental health relationship. This study examines mental health effect differences between caregiving grandmothers and grandfathers and the moderating effects of social engagement. Using 2002-2012 data from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults aged 50 and older, I examine the mental health effects of grandchild care and the moderating effect of social engagement in fixed effects models. Grandfathers experience particularly worsened mental health outcomes when providing grandchild care in a skipped-generation household. Both grandmothers and grandfathers experience mental health improvements from increased social engagement. Social engagement, particularly for grandmothers, serves as a buffer or produces role enhancement for grandmothers in skipped-generation care arrangements. Nonresidential and residential grandchild care affects mental health outcomes differently for grandmothers and grandfathers. However, social engagement consistently serves as a buffer or mental health improvement for all grandparents. Findings further encourage the continued study of social engagement and gender differences in older adults more broadly.

Grandmothers raising grandchildren: managing, balancing and maintaining family relationships

ABSTRACT Most grandparents raising grandchildren are embedded in a network of family members who either help them carry out the caregiving task or complicate that role. This study examined how grandmothers described family relationships, that is, with the grandchild’s parents, grandmother’s spouses/partners, and other relatives. Data were drawn from 457 weekly journal entries submitted by 129 grandmother caregivers. Using thematic analysis, a three-person team coded using NVIVO 12. Grandmothers described three overarching relationship themes: managing conflicted relationships with the grandchild’s parents, balancing relationships with their spouse/partner, and maintaining relationships with other relatives. Implications for practice are provided.

Successful and Cost-Effective Facebook Recruitment: Is It Possible? Results From a Longitudinal Randomized Clinical Trial in Grandmother Caregivers.

Facebook is often cited in health-related research as a practical option to recruit participants into research studies, but issues with recruiting verifiable and qualified participants and unpredictable costs exist. The purpose of this paper is to describe a social network theory-guided, no-cost, Facebook recruitment strategy in comparison to a traditional recruitment campaign for a national online intervention study for grandmother caregivers (n = 348); 211 participants were recruited via Facebook, and 137 through traditional techniques. Participation rates did not vary by recruitment method. Facebook participants were slightly older, higher income, and more likely to be white and married, but did not differ in education levels. Our strategy quickly obtained an engaged and committed participant base. The application of social network theory to traditional recruitment strategies represents a novel way for researchers to recruit through Facebook and yield viable and engaged participants without investing in Facebook ads.

Grandparenting and Cognitive Functioning in China

Caring for grandchildren provides grandparents an opportunity to sustain an active lifestyle and remain socially engaged in older age. Studies have examined the association between providing care to grandchildren and grandparents’ cognitive function. However, these studies had several limitations and yielded mixed findings. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, this study examined the longitudinal association between caregiving and cognitive functioning in grandparents aged 50–75 years. Grandparents’ caregiving status and cognitive functioning were assessed in 2011, 2013, and 2015. Random-effects and fixed-effects regression models were estimated and compared. The full sample (20,000 + person-year observations) was divided into four subgroups to examine gender and rural–urban variations. Being a part-time noncoresident caregiver was associated with higher scores on episodic memory for grandfathers but not for grandmothers. Compared with their noncaregiving counterparts, rural part-time multigenerational caregiving grandmothers had significantly better mental intactness and global cognitive functioning, while rural full-time noncoresident caregiving grandmothers had significantly better episodic memory. Caregiving status was not associated with any cognitive measure among urban grandmothers. Taken together, these findings suggest that Chinese grandparents enjoy cognitive benefits from providing casual or intensive care to grandchildren, but these benefits vary substantially by gender and rural–urban status.

Clinical Depression, Depressive Symptoms, and Depressed Cognition in Caregiving Grandmothers

Grandmothers living with or raising grandchildren have elevated levels of depressive symptoms compared to grandmothers who do not provide care. While the CES-D measures the somatic, positive and negative affect, and interpersonal strain symptoms experienced with depression, the Depressive Cognitions Scale captures the change in cognitive thinking that often precedes clinical depression. Our aim was to compare depressive symptoms and depressed cognitions between grandmother caregivers with a diagnosis of depression and those without in a nationwide sample of 342 grandmother caregivers. In the questionnaire, participants were asked whether they had a diagnosis of depression amongst other health conditions and also completed the CES-D and the Depressed Cognitions Scale. A score of 16 or greater on the CESD or a score above 7 on the Depressed Cognitions Scale can be used to identify individuals who may be at risk for depression. Grandmothers who had a diagnosis of depression were more likely to have CES-D scores 16 and above (79.7 %) as compared to those who were not (39.2%) (Chi Square=54.55, p<.001); and more likely to have higher depressed cognition scores 7 and above (71.3 %) as compared to those who did not (42.9%) (Chi Square=26.68, p<.001). Additionally, grandmothers who had depressed cognitions were more likely to have CES-D scores 16 and above (74.1 %) as compared to those who were not (33.1%) (Chi Square=57.56, p<.001). The elevated scores in participants who already have a diagnosis of depression indicates the need for potential interventions to further address depressive symptoms in grandmother caregivers.