Health Of Grandparents Research Articles

A study on environmental elements of residential open spaces for grandparent-child rearing based on a field survey in Tianjin, China

With the advent of an aging society, grandparents' involvement in childcare is becoming increasingly common, saving families and society huge nursing costs. Residential open space (ROS) is a common place for grandparents' outdoor childcare activities, influencing the health of grandparents and children. However, existing research on the ROS environmental needs of intergenerational users is still insufficient. This study regards grandparents and children as a cohesive entity, based on environment behavior theory, and constructs a research framework for the ROS environmental elements needs for grandparent-child rearing. Taking a residential area in Tianjin as an example, four types of grandparent-child rearing are identified based on the age of the children. Through interviews with grandparents and observation of outdoor activities involving grandparent-child rearing, significant differences in the needs of ROS environmental elements such as enclosure feeling, pet control, and adult fitness equipment among different types of grandparent-child rearing were found, stemming from different caregiving patterns. This study provides important implications for constructing supportive childcare environments and promoting physical activities and childcare education among intergenerational populations.

Relationship between Grandparental Care and Subjective Well-being of the Elderly: Testing the Effect of Inter-generational Care in China

Objectives: This study explores the association between the four types of grandparenting and the mental health of grandparents in China. Methods: This study analyses the data from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) with the application of the General Linear Model. It compares the situation of subjective well-being among the four groups of the Maternal Grandmother (MGMs), the Maternal Grandfathers (MGFs), the paternal grandmothers (PGMs) and the Paternal Grandfathers (PGFs). Results: MGMs’ and the PGMs’ grandparenting behaviour is significantly associated with depression. Nevertheless, this significant feature mainly appears in the families with two parental generations and more than three parental generations but not in the families with only one parental generation. Conclusion: Although grandmothers are more likely to report depression than grandfathers in the cases of grandchild care, grandparenting type is not significantly associated with the feeling of happiness, thus not support the kinship-selection hypothesis.

The Effects of Caring for Grandchildren on Health and Well‐Being of Grandparents: Evidence From Vietnam

ABSTRACTTo date, studies on the effects of grandparenting on grandparents' health and well‐being do not reach the same conclusion and most of them have been conducted in developed countries. We add to this literature by examining the causal relationship between grandparenting and grandparents' health and well‐being in Vietnam, where the social norm and reciprocal relationships between adult children and their older parents are strong. We used instrumental variable estimations to address the endogeneity issue of the decision to provide care. Using the national survey on older persons in Vietnam, we found that grandparenting care had positive effects on psychological well‐being, life satisfaction, and self‐rated health of grandparents. We also found that the effects were heterogenous by caregiver's gender, in which grandmothers were more beneficial from caregiving tasks than grandfathers. Further exploring the mechanisms underlying the effects revealed that improvements in memory and stronger social networks were potential channels through which grandparenting might improve the health and well‐being of grandparents. Our findings support the theory of role enhancement, suggesting that grandparents can have health and well‐being benefits from grandparenting. Policies aiming at strengthening old age protection and family relationships should be advocated to sustain the subjective well‐being of older adults.

Revisiting the association between grandparenting and mental health in China: New evidence from the harmonized CHARLS.

In the context of the global aging challenge, an increasing number of middle-aged and older adults (MAOAs) are engaging in grandparenting. However, the effect of grandparenting on the mental health of caregivers has shown inconsistent findings. To effectively promote healthy aging, it is imperative to adopt a comprehensive perspective and employ a rigorous approach to further investigate the relationship between these two social phenomena. The data from the Harmonized China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were analyzed, focusing on MAOAs with at least one grandchild. Mental health assessments used the center for epidemiologic studies depression scale scale. The study employed a series of difference-in-differences (DID) models, especially complemented by propensity score matching, to evaluate the average treatment effect for the treated (ATT) on mental health of caregivers, considering covariates like personal and family characteristics. The intervention perspective includes both the provision and cessation of grandparenting. The study found that providing grandchildren care does not have a significant effect on the mental health of grandparents, in comparison to those who have never engaged in such care (ATT=-0.172, T=0.65, p=0.517 in the PSM-DID model). Furthermore, ceasing this care also appears to have no substantial effect on the mental health of the caregivers, relative to individuals who have consistently offered grandchildren care (ATT=0.060, T=0.26, p=0.795 in the PSM-DID model). Furthermore, subsequent robustness analyses consistently supported these findings, even when considering data from different survey waves. In contrast to many prior studies that have reported either positive or negative effects, our research reveals that grandparenting exerts no significant effect on the mental health of MAOAs. Consequently, health practitioners and policymakers should carefully consider the diverse cultural context when tailoring interventions and support strategies.

INTERGENERATIONAL REMINISCENCE PROGRAM IN IMPROVING GENERATION CONNECTIONS: A RADAR ANALYSIS

Abstract Objectives Intergenerational solidarity between grandparents and grandchildren has been highlighted in Asian Families and it is beneficial for the health of grandparents. An intergenerational reminiscence program was developed to improve the well-being of Asian American older adults as well as generational bonding. This paper qualitatively reported the weekly reflection from grandchild participants of this program. Methods Older grandparents received 6 sessions of life-review with their grandchildren remotely or in person for approximately 1 hour each week for 6 weeks. Each grandchild (n = 12) provided written reflection each week after talking with grandparent. The qualitative data were organized and analyzed using the five phases of the Rigorous and Accelerated Data Reduction (RADaR) technique. Results Results showed three categories with themes. Category 1: Positive experience. The grandchildren expressed: (1) more connection with grandparent, (2) learn more about grandparent’s past life experience, and (3) have more engagement. Category 2: Strategy to lead the discussion. The grandchildren thought the following good ways in facilitating their weekly conversation with grandparents: (1) taking notes, (2) using guiding question in the manual; (3) use translators, (4) spending time together. Category 3: Challenging experience. The grandchildren felt challenges regarding: (1) over explaining things, (2) language or vocabulary barriers, (3) broad topic. Discussion The reflection pages from grandchild participants showed that intergenerational reminiscence program is promising in bonding the grandparent-grandchild relationship and connection. They also gained knowledge and experienced challenges when talking with their grandparents during the program.

Impacts of grandparenting on older Chinese adults’ mental health: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe practice of grandparenting has been growing in popularity worldwide, particularly in Asian societies. Nevertheless, there is a lack of thorough studies investigating the mental health effects of grandchild care on grandparents, particularly within the family context. The present study aimed to explore the impact of grandparenting on depressive symptoms in older Chinese adults, taking into account the functional role of intergenerational support.MethodsUsing the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS, 2014 and 2018, N = 9,486), we employed the Pooled Ordinary Least Square method (POLS) to explore the association between depressive symptoms and grandparenting intensity as well as include the interaction terms to investigate the role of intergenerational support among grandparents aged from 60 to 80.ResultsAfter adjusting for control variables, both non-intensive (-0.17; 95% CI: -0.30, -0.03) and intensive (-0.69; 95% CI: -0.95, -0.43) childcare, as well as giving financial support to adult children (-0.06; 95% CI: -0.08, -0.04) and emotional closeness with them (-0.94; 95% CI: -1.15, -0.72), were found to have a positive impact on the mental health of grandparents. Giving financial support (non-intensive: -0.04, 95% CI: -0.07, -0.01; intensive: -0.06, 95% CI: -0.13, -0.01) and providing instrumental support to adult children (non-intensive: -0.12, 95% CI: -0.24, -0.01; intensive: -0.19, 95% CI: -0.37, -0.02) moderated the association between grandparenting and the mental health of older adults, regardless of care intensity. However, the moderating role of receiving financial support (-0.07; 95% CI: -0.12, -0.02) only existed when non-intensive childcare was provided.ConclusionGrandchild care predicted better mental health in grandparents, mainly when they engaged in intensive grandparenting. Emotional closeness and providing financial support to adult children brought mental health benefits to grandparents involved in childcare. Giving financial support and providing instrumental support to adult children moderated the association between grandparenting and the mental health of older adults. However, the moderating role of receiving financial support from adult children only existed when non-intensive childcare was provided.

Playing with grandchildren; improve the mental health of grandparents.

Playing with grandchildren; improve the mental health of grandparents.

The Self-Rated Health of Grandmothers Caring for Grandchildren: Evidence from South Africa

Globally older people are increasingly providing care for their grandchildren. A pertinent question across world regions is the extent to which providing care for grandchildren intersects with the ageing process and the implications for grandparents’ wellbeing. This paper examines the relationship between caring for grandchildren and the self-rated health of older African women (n = 1,397) in South Africa, drawing on data from the National Income Dynamics Study. This is a population which faces significant socio-economic challenges and stresses from the legacy of the HIV epidemic but benefit from a supportive social protection system and strong norms of extended family care. The findings show that prior self-rated health is not associated with assuming primary caregiving responsibilities for grandchildren, suggesting there is no selection effect into caring responsibilities. However, after controlling for prior characteristics, older women who take on primary caring responsibilities for grandchildren have significantly lower odds of reporting poorer self-rated health. Thus, in contrast to the frequent conclusions of negative impacts of custodial grandparenting on grandparent health in the US, this paper indicates that in some cultural contexts grandparents taking on the primary responsibility for grandchildren can be protective for health. Policymakers need to recognise the important caregiving role of grandparents and support them to flourish.

How is caring for grandchildren associated with grandparents' health: the mediating effect of internet use.

Prior studies showed mixed results of the association between grandchild care and grandparents' health. This research focused on the mechanisms behind the above link by studying how internet use served as a mediator through which grandchild care has impacted grandparents' health. The study aimed to draw implications to improve health of grandparents who offer care to grandchildren. Using a sample of 16,829 grandparents aged 50 through 80 from the 2018 wave of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), the study relied on the KHB method to conduct the analysis. Grandparental health was measured by self-rated health (SRH), instrumental activity of daily living (IADL), life satisfaction and depression. Overall, grandchild care had a positive effect on grandparental health. Those who engaged in grandchild care were more likely to use internet. In addition, internet use mediated the ways in which grandchild care impacted grandparents' health. Interne use generally promoted the positive influence of grandparental caregiving on grandparents' health. Specifically, the mediating effects of watching videos and chatting through the internet were most pronounced among urban grandmothers. The mediating effects of watching news were most noticeable among both urban grandmothers and grandfathers. Internet use served as a mediator in the association between grandchild child care and grandparental health. Promoting internet usage may be an effective way reducing the negative impact of grandchild care on grandparents' mental health. It could also increase the positive effect of caregiving on grandparents' SRH and functional independence. The study also underscored the importance of taking rural-urban context and gender role into consideration when studying intergenerational caregiving and Chinese grandparents' health.

Impacts of intergenerational caregiving on grandparents’ health: Implications for SDG-3

Due to the pressure in the labor market, an increasing number of young parents are entrusting the responsibility of taking care of their children to their retired parents. This study aimed to assess how intergenerational caregiving impacted on the physical and mental health of grandparents. We found that care provision can significantly improve grandparents’ physical health and reduce their depression index scores. The positive impacts were more significant for women, middle-aged adults (45-60 years old), and grandparents living in rural area. The positive impacts stem from the increasing intergenerational economic support, spiritual comfort, and social interaction. The study has significant policy implications that align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-3). Firstly, it is crucial to promote intergenerational cooperation and develop social support policies that address the needs of caregivers, which help improve their health and alleviate excess caregiving burdens. Second, the government should establish a socialized and market-oriented childcare service system, which in turn can stimulate economic development and lay the foundation for green economic recovery. Thirld, it is important to ensure coherence and alignment between family policies and labor protection policies to enhance the policy impact.

조부모의 손자녀 돌봄 지원을 경험한 성인자녀의 자문화기술지

The purpose of this study was to investigate the subjective experiences of adult children and their families in the process of assisting grandparents in caring for their grandchildren. Autoethnography was used to collect the data, which was then interpreted and used in a sociocultural framework. Due to the public care gap and general mistrust of others, as a working mother I asked child care support from my parents, whom I could trust. The mother had several physical, mental, social, and financial challenges throughout the procedure, but she positively remembered that it was a wonderful time with more pleasure and value than the challenges brought on by raising grandchildren. My family at that time raised grandkids with an unwavering feeling of love, so when I ceased caring for them, the family's sadness was more than I had anticipated. In a mutually beneficial partnership, we were able to continue our efforts to have better family relationships as families worked together and overcame challenging periods in the process of supporting raising grandchildren. Based on the study result, the discussion concentrated on the educational component of grandparents' support in raising their grandchildren, and a program to manage the physical and emotional health of grandparents, a program to provide current, customized parenting information, a program to strengthen positive awareness of being grandparents, a program related to family health to maintain a healthy family system, a program to set up new relationships within the family and reestablishing the roles in line with the time when grandparents stop caring for their grandchildren, etc., were suggested as action plans.

Childcare burden and psychological distress among elderly people involved in grandparenting: A study on local and migrant grandparents in Hangzhou, China.

Grandparenting is known to impact psychological health in older people. However, the extent to which the effect is altered by migration-related and sociodemographic determinants is less clear. Therefore, we conducted this cross-sectional study to investigate whether the association between grandparenting and psychological distress differs between rural-urban migrants and local older adults from May to September 2019. A total of 373 rural-urban migrants and 602 local older adults involved in grandparenting in Hangzhou completed measurements assessing sociodemographic characteristics, childcare burden and psychological distress. In total, 22.2% of the grandparents reported psychological distress. Rural-urban migrant grandparents had a lower socioeconomic status (SES), a higher childcare burden (23.6 ± 9.2 vs. 20.7 ± 9.5, p < 0.001) and higher levels of psychological distress (29.8% vs. 17.4%, p < 0.001) than local grandparents. Childcare burden and pressure from adult children were the most significant predictors for psychological distress in both groups (ps < 0.05). Psychological distress was also significantly associated with self-rated health status (β=-0.276, p=0.033) and willingness to participate in grandparenting (β=-0.659, p=0.024) in migrant grandparents but associated with female gender (β=0.346, p=0.022), caring for children at night (β=0.424, p=0.011), conflict with adult children (β=0.432, p < 0.001) and annual income (β=-0.237, p < 0.001) in local grandparents. Migrant status showed a statistically significant moderating effect between childcare burden and psychological distress. These results may be of assistance in comprehensively understanding the social determinants of mental health of grandparents involved in grandparenting.

Too Many Treats or Not Enough to Eat? The Impact of Caregiving Grandparents on Child Food Security and Nutrition.

With the number of grandparent-headed households on the rise, the influence of grandparents needs to be considered in the fight to reduce child obesity. The current study investigated the influence of caregiver type (i.e., grandparents only, parents only, or multi-generational households) on children’s nutrition, food security, and BMI. This was a cross-sectional, secondary analysis based on the 2009–2010 wave of the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey in collaboration with the World Health Organization. This sample included 12,181 students from 10,837 families with only parents present in the household, 238 with only grandparents present, and 1106 multi-generational families. One-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) were conducted using caregiver type as the independent variable, controlling for SES, on items assessing frequency of breakfast consumption, nutrition intake, hunger, snacking frequency and location, and BMI. Children reported more unhealthy snacking in households with only grandparents. Hunger was reported more often in multi-generational households. These results support that caregiver type, especially caregiving grandparents, is a significant predictor of children’s BMI, nutrition, and food security. Tailoring nutrition education to the needs of grandparents could help both the health of grandparents and the reduction of child obesity.

Grandparents caring for grandchildren in rural China: consequences for emotional and cognitive health in later life

In rural China, where families serve as critical safety-nets for their vulnerable members, grandparents play an essential role caring for the offspring of their migrant children. Evidence is mixed as to whether caring for grandchildren provides health benefits or incurs health risks. In this article, we used six waves of data from a study in rural China to examine the impact of caregiving for grandchildren on grandparents’ emotional and cognitive health. Further, we examined financial transfers from adult children as a resource that potentially moderates the impact of high intensity caregiving on these outcomes. Data derived from six waves (2001–2015) of the Longitudinal Study of Older Adults in Anhui Province, China. We constructed 2,835 person-interval observations derived from 1,067 grandparents to examine lagged change in depressive symptoms and cognitive ability. Results show that caregiving frequency is not by itself harmful or beneficial to the emotional and cognitive health of grandparents, but it does appear to be harmful in the context of custodial care that is less economically supported by adult children. These results are discussed in terms of their relevance to intergenerational reciprocity in a filial culture, time-for-money exchange expectations, and the need for financial resources among caregiving grandparents in rural China.

GRANDPARENTING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES AND ITS IMPACT ON GRANDPARENT HEALTH

Across the US, millions of grandparents are providing vital care for their grandchildren with disabilities when their adult children are in need of assistance and public programs do not provide needed supports. Research suggests the impact on grandparent physical health is mixed. This paper draws on in-depth interviews with 50 grandparents to explore how caring for grandchildren with disabilities shapes their physical wellbeing. We use life course perspective to assess the choices grandparents make from available resources and options at different stages of their lives and the effects on their health. We find in addition to providing routine care, helping with feeding, bathing, and dressing, some grandparents provide constant supervision and medically intense care, such as tending to feeding tubes, catheters, and oxygen lines. Many grandparents said care work has improved, or at least helped sustain, their overall level of fitness, while other grandparents find that care work has adverse impacts. Often there is too much chasing, bending, and lifting for their aging bodies. This paper suggests that stronger social programs for children with disabilities and the grandparents who step in to help them would decrease the negative effects of care work on grandparent health.

GRANDPARENTAL CAREGIVING AND CO-RESIDENCE, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, AND MORTALITY IN RHODE ISLAND CITIES AND TOWNS

Grandparents co-residing with their grandchildren is becoming increasingly more common, with over 1.5 million grandchildren living with their grandchildren in the U.S. Furthermore, the number of grandparents who are primary caregivers for their grandchildren has also increased, which can negatively effects the grandparents’ physical and mental health, and increase social isolation and financial burden. However, the associations between grandparental caregiving and health outcomes are not well understood on a population level. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess associations between grandparental caregiving, socioeconomic status, and population health outcomes. Using mortality data (2009-2011) from the Rhode Island (RI) Department of Health and life table methods for each RI city/town, life expectancy at age 65 (LE65) and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) were calculated and linked to data from the American Community Survey on grandparental caregiving responsibilities, grandparental living arrangements (co-residence), poverty status, and demographics. Correlations and multivariable linear regression modeling were used to evaluate associations among LE65, ASMR, grandparental caregiving and co-residence, demographics, and poverty. Both LE65 (rho=-0.382, p=0.016) and ASMR (rho=0.327, p=0.042) were associated with the percent of grandparents living with grandchildren. The percent of grandparents as primary caregivers to their grandchildren was not significantly associated with LE65 or ASMR. ASMR was associated with the percent of grandparents living in poverty (rho=0.401, p=0.013) and overall poverty (rho=0.363, p=0.023). These results highlight conditions of community-based living and role of primary caregivers at an older age that should be further explored to improve the health of grandparents, particularly in multi-generational homes.

Caring for Grandchildren and Grandparents’ Physical and Mental Health Changes

Using the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging Waves 1–5, we examined how the transition and duration of grandchild care influenced the health of grandparents. The participants in this study were 5870 KLoSA grandparents who had one or more grandchildren. Using latent class analysis grandparents were classified into four groups: provided continuous grandchild care, initiated grandchild care, stopped grandchild care, and did not engage in grandchild care. Using growth curve modeling analysis the differences in initial level and changes over time in health of these four groups of grandparents were analyzed. The primary results were that the initial physical and mental health status of these four groups of grandparents were different. Grandparents who reported a lower level of physical pain were more likely to initiate grandchild care, whereas grandparents who reported increased pain over time were more likely to stop providing grandchild care. Subjective health of grandparents who took care of their grandchildren increased when they stopped caring for their grandchildren. These results indicated that whether or not grandparents provided care to their grandchild appears to be determined by the initial health of grandparents. However, there was little difference in the changes in physical and mental over time between the grandchild care classes.

The Changing Health of Canadian Grandparents

Fertility postponement and mortality decline are shifting the demography of the grandparent population in Canada. The ways in which the aging of the grandparent population affects families depends in large part on the health of grandparents. In this article, we document the aging of Canadian grandparents between 1985 and 2011. However, despite being older, grandparents are healthier, signaling that the compression of morbidity is outpacing the postponement of grandparenthood. This shift is partly due to the higher educational attainment of this population and partly due to secular improvements in health over time. The improved health of grandparents in Canada has important implications for intergenerational transfers and relationships.

Healthy Grandparenthood: How Long Is It, and How Has It Changed?

Healthy grandparenthood represents the period of overlap during which grandparents and grandchildren can build relationships, and grandparents can make intergenerational transfers to younger kin. The health of grandparents has important implications for upward and downward intergenerational transfers within kinship networks in aging societies. Although the length of grandparenthood is determined by fertility and mortality patterns, the amount of time spent as a healthy grandparent is also affected by morbidity. In this study, we estimate the length of healthy grandparenthood for the first time. Using U.S. and Canadian data, we examine changes in the length of healthy grandparenthood during years when grandparenthood was postponed, health improved, and mortality declined. We also examine variation in healthy grandparenthood by education and race/ethnicity within the United States. Our findings show that the period of healthy grandparenthood is becoming longer because of improvements in health and mortality, which more than offset delays in grandparenthood. Important variation exists within the United States by race/ethnicity and education, which has important implications for family relationships and transfers.

The impact of caring for grandchildren on the health of grandparents in Europe: A lifecourse approach

Grandparents are becoming an increasingly important source of childcare. However, caring for grandchildren may have negative health consequences particularly for grandparents with intensive commitments such as those with primary care responsibilities. To date most studies on this issue are based on cross-sectional data and do not take earlier life circumstances into account. Thus, it is not known whether (or to what extent) the relationship between grandparental childcare and health is due to cumulative advantage or disadvantage throughout the lifecourse or to the impact of grandchild care per se.Employing data from waves 1–3 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe we investigated the longitudinal relationship between grandparental childcare (i.e. intensive and non-intensive) and health once cumulative histories of advantage or disadvantage are taken into account. We used latent class analysis to categorise respondents according to childhood socio-economic and health conditions drawing on life history information. Experiences in adulthood (e.g. periods of ill health) were also captured. We created a latent continuous physical health variable based on self- and observer-measured indicators. OLS regression was used to explore the association between physical health at wave 2 and grandparental childcare at baseline, controlling for conditions in childhood and adulthood, and for health and socio-economic characteristics.We found a positive longitudinal association between grandchild care and health even after earlier life health and socio-economic conditions were taken into account. However, this significant association was found only for grandmothers, and not grandfathers. Our results suggesting the health benefits of grandchild care are important given the widespread provision of grandparental childcare in Europe. However, further research on underlying mechanisms and causal pathways between grandchild care and grandparent health, as well as on gender differences in the pattern of association, is needed.