Grandparent Caregivers Research Articles

Grandfamily Origin Narratives: Examining Grandparent Caregivers’ Retrospective Storytelling of Family Formation Through Communicated Narrative Sense-Making Theory

SYNOPSIS Objective. This study examined grandparent caregivers’ identity construction and emotional story framing by applying the retrospective storytelling heuristic of communicated narrative sense-making theory (CNSM) to grandfamily origin stories. Design. In interviews with 33 grandparent caregivers who self-identified as the primary caregiver to one or more grandchildren in the last year, participants were asked to share the story of how they became a grandparent-headed household, also called “grandfamily.” Thematic narrative analysis was used to uncover narrative themes, and deductive coding was used for story framing. Results. Four identity themes characterized grandparent caregiver sense-making: 1) safe-haven caregiver, 2) collaborative caregiver, 3) second-chance caregiver, and 4) disenfranchised caregiver. Deductive coding revealed that the emotional framing of most stories was ambivalent, but some stories used redemptive or contaminated story frames. Conclusions. The study highlights how grandparent caregivers make sense of origin stories through their caregiving identities or roles. Furthermore, the prevalence of ambivalent story framing may be due to the unfinished or uncertain nature of these family narratives.

Understanding Grandparent Caregiving in Korean and U.S. Culture: An Analysis Using Role Theory.

This study explored grandparent caregiving experiences in Korea and the United States. Using a phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 custodial grandparents (10 in Korea, 10 in the United States) to understand their lived experiences. Under the guidance of role theory, the caregivers' experiences were explained by themes of role consensus, role conformity, and role conflict. Despite Korean and U.S. grandparent groups performing a similar role, relative differences were observed, including Korean grandparents with increased role conformity and the U.S. grandparents with increased role conflict. The distinction highlights the importance of understanding grandparent caregiving in cultural contexts and ensuring that interventions are culturally responsive. Regardless of cultural context, the grandparent caregivers disclosed relatively positive experiences of the pandemic, testifying to their resilience. Lastly, critical role supporters were identified at various levels, demonstrating that developing support systems can be a key in empowering grandparent caregivers.

The diversity of grandparents in rural China: a new classification based on the shift in grandparents’ ideology and family structure

The heterogeneity of grandparent caregivers in rural China increases the challenges in exploring and assisting this group. To address this, the study used data from 38 in-depth interviews conducted in three diverse Chinese villages, identifying four ideal types of grandparents: leading, sacrificial, reciprocal and reluctant. These types are based on grandparents’ ideologies and family structures, reflecting different stages of societal change. The findings indicate that the diversity of grandparents and their varied caregiving experiences in rural China reflect the transformation trends of rural families and individuals. Additionally, this study introduced a new analytical tool for future research on rural Chinese grandparents.

The Role of Grandparents in Facilitating Children's Physical Activity.

Research suggests there is considerable opportunity to improve children's movement behaviors while they are being cared for by their grandparents. An understanding of the extent to which grandparent practices facilitate children's engagement in physical activity is critical to the development of health interventions targeting grandparent caregivers. This study examined the activity-related beliefs and practices of grandparents and their association with grandchildren's engagement in various movement behaviors while in grandparental care. Australian grandparents (N = 1190; 60% women) who provided regular care to a grandchild aged 3-14years were recruited via a web panel provider to complete an online survey. The survey assessed grandparents' physical activity-related beliefs (eg,perceived importance) and practices (eg,support and social control) and their grandchildren's engagement in physical activity (unstructured, structured, and outdoor play) and screen-based activities while in grandparental care. The importance of grandchildren's physical activity was rated highly by grandparents. Grandparents' support for their grandchildren's physical activity was positively associated with their grandchildren's engagement in structured physical activity, unstructured physical activity, and outdoor play. Negative social control was associated with greater engagement in screen-based activities. Other correlates of grandchildren's physical activity and screen-based activities included grandparents' own engagement in these activities. Findings highlight the importance of reinforcing the beliefs and practices that positively influence children's movement behaviors and addressing those that have unintended consequences. Encouraging grandparents to support their grandchildren's physical activity and discouraging forms of negative social control are likely to be important in efforts to promote physical activity in children.

A - 88 Grandparent Caregivers Interaction with Experiences of Discrimination Effect on Perceptions of Cognitive Control

Abstract Objective This study hypothesized that perceptions of cognitive ability control will differ according to grandparent caregiving status and perceptions of discrimination based on age. Control beliefs mediate the relation between discrimination and executive function. Due to the intersectional nature of grandparents who raise grandchildren and minority statuses compared to non-caregiving grandparents, it is thought that perceptions of age being the main reason of discrimination will differentially affect caregiving grandparents compared to non-caregiving grandparents perceptions of control over cognitive ability. Method Data included 92 caregiving and 407 non-caregiving grandparent participants from the third wave of a longitudinal data collection survey Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS III). MIDUS III included self-administered surveys assessing caregiver status, perceptions of main reasons of discrimination, and perceptions of cognitive control. Result A 2-way ANOVA was performed to analyze the effect of grandparent caregiver status and age discrimination perceptions on perceptions of cognitive ability control. A 2-way ANOVA revealed there was a significant interaction between the effects of grandparent caregiver status and perceptions of aging discrimination (F(1, 498) = 7047, p < 0.001). Conclusions Grandparent caregivers are more likely to have higher perceptions of control over cognitive ability when they do not perceive age as a main reason for discrimination; whereas non-caregiving grandparents have higher perceptions of control over cognitive ability when they do perceive age as a main reason for discrimination. Perceptions of why individuals are discriminated against may interact with personal factors that contribute to perceptions of control in cognitive ability.

Intensity and changes in grandparental caregiving: Exploring the link to loneliness in Europe

This study investigates the impact of the overall intensity and changes in grandparental caregiving on loneliness in grandparents in European countries. Data from waves 5 to 8 of the Survey on Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were used (Nindividuals = 30,896 and Nobservations = 48,562). We included grandparents (aged 50 years and over) with at least one grandchild at the beginning of the study. The analyses reveal that any intensity of grandparental care decreases the risk of loneliness. When looking at changes in grandparental care the results show that stable caregiving roles appeared to reduce loneliness, while starting to provide grandparental care makes grandparents more vulnerable to loneliness. In conclusion, our findings underscore that consistent grandparental care is important for grandparents in mitigating loneliness, highlighting the importance of sustained caregiving roles over fluctuations in caregiving intensity.

Emotional competences as predictors of psychological wellbeing and quality of life of supplementary grandparents caregivers.

Grandparents are increasingly becoming key figures in the supplementary care of grandchildren. Based on the Resilience Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation, the present study aims to analyze the emotional competences that canpl predict higher levels of psychological wellbeing and quality of life in supplementary grandparents caregivers. A sample of 270 supplementary grandparents caregivers living in Spain participated. Most participants were women (71.1%), and the mean age was 67.83 years (SD = 6.26). Most participants were occasional caregivers, that is, they care for less than 10 h per week (76.3%). We conducted hierarchical multiple regression analysis, one for psychological wellbeing and the other for quality of life. The regression model for psychological wellbeing identified that age, management of caregiving stress, self-confidence in the caregiving role, management of work-life balance difficulties and emotional self-regulation explained 32.8% of its variance. The regression model for quality of life showed that age, type of grandparent caregiver, management of caregiving stress, management of work-life balance difficulties and emotional self-regulation explained 31.2% of its variance. This study focuses on supplementary grandparents caregivers, whereas literature has tended to look at primary grandparents caregivers. The results highlight the role of emotional competences as predictors of supplementary grandparents caregivers' psychological wellbeing and quality of life, overcoming the usual tendency in the literature to focus on the negative consequences of grandparents caregiving for grandchildren, and emphasizing the competences that grandparents have to cope with this care in a satisfactory way, which, moreover, can be trained.

What Is the Impact of Custodial Grandchildren Receiving Mental Health Care on Grandparent Caregivers?

What Is the Impact of Custodial Grandchildren Receiving Mental Health Care on Grandparent Caregivers?

Impact of caregiving on mental, self-rated, and physical health: evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study.

Given the escalating demand for care services, understanding the impact of informal caregiving, providing unpaid care for family members, on own health is essential. This study longitudinally analyzed the association of caregiving (and different caregiver types) with mental, physical, and self-rated health. Urban-rural, gender, and employment heterogeneity were further investigated. Based on three-wave data (2011, 2013, and 2018) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, we used growth curve models to assess the impact of informal caregiving (providing care to family members) and caregiver types (caregivers to grandchildren, parents, spouses, or multiple family members) on three health outcomes (depressive symptoms, self-rated health, and activities of daily living limitations). Our study included 13,377 individuals. Results showed a negative correlation of caregiving with mental, physical, and self-rated health. Compared to noncaregivers, spousal caregivers and multiple caregivers were both associated with worsening mental, self-rated, and physical health. In contrast, adult child caregivers were only negatively associated with mental health, and grandparent caregiving did not significantly affect any health outcomes. Further heterogeneity analysis showed that gender did not moderate the relationship between caregiving and health, whereas the negative association between caregiving and health was more pronounced among the rural population and those employed in agriculture. Findings from the present study suggest that caregiving is detrimental to health, and recommend considering caregiver type when examining caregiving and health. These findings have vital implications for policymakers in addressing the challenges of structuring and implementing a sustainable informal care system.

Application of an integrated behaviour-change model on grandparental adherence towards childhood domestic injury prevention in Hong Kong: a longitudinal study

Background/purposeEvery year, unintentional injury claims thousands of children’s lives and causes disabilities in many more. For very young children, these injuries often occur at home. The risks of domestic injury...

Korean Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: The Influence of Cultural Factors

ABSTRACT Korean grandparents raising grandchildren play a significant role for future generations, but there is limited cultural understanding of custodial grandparents. A phenomenological qualitative approach was used to understand the lived experiences of Korean custodial grandparents and the meaning of grandparent caregiving in Korean culture. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 custodial grandparents. Three themes emerged: (1) Multifaceted needs and challenges of grandparent-headed families in Korea; (2) Unique cultural phenomena in Korean grandparenting; and (3) Complexities between existing custodial grandparenting challenges and COVID. Findings highlight the importance of understanding cultural factors to better support the marginalized population. Collaboration with community resources is recommended for the development and implementation of culturally responsive programs and policies for grandparent-headed families in Korea.

“Wasn’t in Our Game Plan”: Reflections of Older Grandparents Navigating Child Welfare Systems

Kinship caregivers encounter complex issues when interfacing with the child welfare system. Most kinship care families are not connected to child welfare. The experiences and extent of child welfare connection among older grandparents raising adolescent grandchildren are understudied. This study describes in-depth reflections from older grandparents raising adolescent grandchildren about circumstances leading to kinship care and the extent of child welfare involvement. Nineteen older grandparents raising adolescent grandchildren participated in qualitative phenomenological interviews. Eligibility criteria included identifying as a primary caregiver aged 40 or older for a grandchild 12 years or older who lived with them at least three days during the week. Respondents were primarily married (58%), white/non-Hispanic (53%), and grandmothers (84%) and had some college education or were college graduates (79%). Older grandparent caregivers described three themes: the intensive child welfare path, the influence of indirect child welfare professionals, and guardians with influence. The onset of kinship care, with or without intensive child welfare involvement, stemmed primarily from child abuse and neglect linked primarily to adolescent pregnancies and parental substance use. Child welfare and other helping professionals must recognize and problem-solve with older grandparent caregivers to meet complex stage-of-life needs in and outside of traditional child welfare settings.

Using Grounded Theory to Develop a Substantive Theory for Grandparent-Caregiving in Uganda: The GRACE Model.

Few studies have focused on developing theories to explain caregiving as performed by grandparents who provide care for their grandchildren in any setting. Theory development that is grounded in the experiences and cultural context of those being studied is needed to inform research, subsequent care, and overall well-being, especially of populations that are understudied. This manuscript was informed by Constructivist Grounded Theory, semi-structured in-depth and individual interviews. Also, three methodological phases were followed: (a) concurrent data collection and analysis procedures, (b) developing categories and relationships among them, and (c) defining the core category and building the substantive theory. The methodological steps involved in generating a substantive theory, the GRAndparent-CarEgiving (GRACE) model, are reported. Research, and subsequently the well-being and health care of grandparent-caregivers, needs to be informed by culturally congruent theories that are founded in the experiences and cultural context of the individuals being investigated.

Grandparent Caregivers Lived Experiences and Resource Needs/Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT This project examined the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on grandparent caregivers, grandchildren, family dynamics, and resources to mitigate and navigate crises. Phone interviews were conducted with 24 grandparent caregivers using a semi-structured interview guide. Caregivers explained that the pandemic had impacted them and their grandchildren by increasing emotional distress, social isolation, financial difficulties, and challenges with education. Helpful resources consisted of financial support, respite care, and support for grandchildren. Thus, there is a need to provide grandparent caregivers with the same resources that foster care providers receive - particularly when faced with challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grandparenting and the Golden Years: Understanding the Factors and Mental Health Outcomes of Grandparent Caregivers in Older Adults

The prevalence of grandparents assuming the caregiving responsibilities of their grandchildren has been increasing. Approximately 7.9 million children in the USA live with their grandparents or relatives. Around 2.5 million grandparents raise their grandchildren formally through the child welfare/foster care system; the remaining children are raised informally by their grandparents. Grandparents also assume caregiver roles when the parents are absent due to other commitments, including work, or when they are part of a multigenerational household. Supplementary and occasional grandparenting promotes a socially active lifestyle, reduces loneliness, and improves cognition in grandparents. However, grandparents can assume primary caregiving responsibilities of their grandchildren due to various reasons, including child abuse and neglect, death, divorce, substance use, and incarceration of the parents. Grandparents with primary caregiving responsibilities for their grandchildren have been found to have high stress levels due to low finances, physical restrictions, and stigma, and have various needs, including information on addressing mental health issues of grandchildren, and social support. Grandparents who are primary caregivers have poor physical and mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, cognitive dysfunction, increased inflammatory markers, cardiovascular comorbidities, and mortality. These outcomes are worse in grandparents belonging to minority and marginalized populations. In our general session, we will discuss the various trends and reasons for the rise of grandparents involved in caring for grandchildren. Our session will also describe the different types of households involving grandparents and grandchildren, including grandfamilies, skipped-generation, and three-generation families, and summarize various theories of grandparent stress including role strain theory and social exchange theory. Specific focus will be given in our session to culturally diverse and marginalized populations, including minorities, and grandparents involved in the custodial care of their grandchildren. The session will review the various pathways to custodial care by grandparents and their needs. Our session will elucidate the positive and negative outcomes of grandparents taking care of their grandchildren, including mental health and well-being, and how they can be addressed during clinical encounters with our patients. We will appraise the current evidence of interventions for grandparents including social support and parenting skills. We will also recommend potential solutions and future directions to improve outcomes in grandparents caring for their grandchildren. At the conclusion of our session, handouts with salient learning points from our session will be provided for our audience members to assist in their encounters with grandparents caregiving for their grandchildren.

Discriminative Grandparental Investment in China : Evidence from an Undergraduate Questionnaire Study.

Many studies in Western societies show a pattern of discriminative grandparental investment as follows: maternal grandmothers (MGMs) > maternal grandfathers (MGFs) > paternal grandmothers (PGMs) > paternal grandfathers (PGFs). This pattern is in line with the expectation from evolutionary reasoning. Yet whether or not this pattern applies in China is in question. The present study was based on a questionnaire survey at a university in Central China (N = 1,195). Results show that (1) when grandparent-grandchild residential distance during grandchildren's childhood is controlled, in the case of grandsons and granddaughters as a whole and granddaughters only, both grandparental caregiving and grandchildren's emotional closeness to grandparents display a rank order of MGM > MGF > PGM > PGF, but in the case of grandsons only, this order is not statistically significant. (2) There are stable relationships between grandparental caregiving/grandchildren's emotional closeness and residential distance/similarity in appearance. (3) The effects of residential distance on either PGFs' or PGMs' caregiving exceed those on either MGFs' or MGMs'. (4) The PGF and PGM prefer grandsons to granddaughters in their caregiving, whereas the MGF and MGM do not have a sex preference, and (5) the fact that the PGF and PGM invest more in grandsons than in granddaughters does not depend on grandsons' duration of living in a rural area. Our results suggest that (1) in general, the Chinese display a pattern of differential grandparental investment predicted by an evolutionary perspective, (2) the evolutionary perspective that combines the two factors of paternal uncertainty and sex-specific reproductive strategies is applicable to grandparental investment in China, and (3) the traditional son-preference culture also plays some role in affecting grandparental investment in China, though the roles of culture and urban-rural cultural difference should not be exaggerated.

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.

Caring for others without neglecting oneself? Grandparent caregivers, gender, and perceived health-related quality of life

In this study, we explored the impact of caregiving on quality of life and health perceptions and outlined the profile of grandparent caregivers in Andalusia (Spain) in terms of a range of sociodemographic variables related to the care of their grandchildren. A sample of 171 participants (21.6% men) completed the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) questionnaire and another ad hoc one providing sociodemographic and caregiving data. We studied the relationships between these variables and HRQoL using ANOVA, chi-square and Multiple Linear Regression. We found a mainly female profile for the care of grandchildren and interesting relationships for the physical and mental components of HRQoL. Some relationships were marked by gender: caregiving for pleasure was more often the motive for men while by imposition was more common among women. We discuss the impact of caregiving on health according to the Self-Determination Theory and suggest practical implications derived from the main findings.

GRANDPARENTS’ ACTIVITY ENGAGEMENT WITH GRANDCHILDREN AS A FUNCTION OF CAREGIVER STATUS

Abstract Though the grandparent population varies across virtually all sociodemographic characteristics, caregiver status (i.e., whether grandparents are raising grandchildren), may be most salient in how grandparents engage in activities and perceive their roles in relation to their grandchildren. Informed by the bioecological process-person-context-time model, this mixed-methods study explores how activity engagement varies by caregiver status and whether activity engagement with grandchildren is related to grandparents’ perceived roles. A convenience sample of 86 mid-life and older adults (Mage=65.12 years, range=42-82) completed an online survey with open- and closed-ended items related to their grandparenting experience. 22% of grandparents self-identified as grandparent caregivers (GC), or those who have been raising their grandchildren for six months or longer; the remaining 78% self-identified as non-caregiving grandparents (NCG). Comparative analyses did not yield statistically significant results, revealing GCs and NGCs largely engaged in similar activities with their grandchildren. However, activity engagement intervals differed by group (i.e., daily basis for GCs vs. weekly or monthly basis for NGCs), and a greater proportion of NCGs reported digital activity engagement with their grandchildren. Both GCs and NGCs identified their roles as emotional supporters to their grandchildren, though GCs also identified with instrumental roles (e.g., surrogate parent, anchor, financial supporter). These findings shed light on the connection between self-reported activity engagement and subjective role perceptions across just one sociodemographic characteristic—caregiver status—and suggest both groups share a similar grandparenting foundation, with an additional, “dual-roles” component for GCs. Implications for future research and practice will be discussed.

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.