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.

The Experience of Grandparenting Young Children

This study examines the experience of grandparents providing regular childcare to their young grandchildren in China. Due to unique cultural and social factors, regular childcare provided by grandparents is becoming increasingly common in China. Unfortunately, published research on this topic does not provide a sufficient understanding of the experiences of grandparents who provide the regular care and the impact this has on their life. A qualitative, cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban village setting in Changsha China, where participants (N = 11) were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were collected between April 2019 and June 2019 and thematically analyzed using a seven-step modified procedure established by Colaizzi. Three key themes were identified: (1) Dominant factors motivating grandparenting; (2) Sweet burden of grandparenting; and, (3) Unmet needs. Study findings showed that while the Chinese grandparents perceived value and benefits to providing regular childcare, there are also significant challenges that need to be addressed. Interventions at a household and community level can be implemented to improve their childcare role.

Multigenerational transmission of obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

There is a strong link between parental and offspring obesity status. However, the state of epidemiological evidence on multigenerational transmission of overweight/obesity, such as from grandparents to grandchildren, is relatively unknown. This systematic review collates and appraises existing evidence on multigenerational transmission of overweight/obesity and uses meta-analytic estimates for quantitative synthesis. Six electronic databases were searched for publications reporting the relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren overweight/obesity status. A total of 25 studies from 17 countries with a combined population of 238,771 study participants met the inclusion criteria. About 60% (15) of the reviewed studies reported a positive association between grandparent-grandchild (GP-GC) overweight/obesity, out of which 11 were statistically significant. Seven studies reported odds ratios of GP-GC overweight/obesity associations and were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled estimates showed a significant GP-GC association in overweight/obesity status (odds ratio [OR]: 1.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-2.57). Thus, the current research evidence shows that grandchildren's overweight/obesity status is associated with their grandparents' overweight/obesity status, indicating a multigenerational transmission of obesity. However, more studies, especially from developing countries, are required to assess the robustness of these findings. Future studies should also focus on the mechanisms through which this transmission occurs.

Matrilateral bias of grandparental investment in grandchildren persists despite the grandchildren's adverse early life experiences

Evolutionary theory predicts a downward flow of investment from older to younger generations, representing individual efforts to maximize inclusive fitness. Maternal grandparents and maternal grandmothers (MGMs) in particular consistently show the highest levels of investment (e.g. time, care and resources) in their grandchildren. Grandparental investment overall may depend on social and environmental conditions that affect the development of children and modify the benefits and costs of investment. Currently, the responses of grandparents to adverse early life experiences (AELEs) in their grandchildren are assessed from a perspective of increased investment to meet increased need. Here, we formulate an alternative prediction that AELEs may be associated with reduced grandparental investment, as they can reduce the reproductive value of the grandchildren. Moreover, we predicted that paternal grandparents react more strongly to AELEs compared to maternal grandparents because maternal kin should expend extra effort to invest in their descendants. Using population-based survey data for English and Welsh adolescents, we found evidence that the investment of maternal grandparents (MGMs in particular) in their grandchildren was unrelated to the grandchildren's AELEs, while paternal grandparents invested less in grandchildren who had experienced more AELEs. These findings seemed robust to measurement errors in AELEs and confounding due to omitted shared causes.

Time, money, and entry into parenthood: The role of (grand)parental support

OBJECTIVE

The study's objective is to understand how parental propensities to provide support, as predicted by parental characteristics, shape adult daughters' and sons' entry into parenthood in the United States.

BACKGROUND

Much research explores the influence of parental support on adult children's fertility, but the evidence is mixed and primarily focuses on European contexts. Theoretical approaches suggest that to best understand how parental support shapes adult children's outcomes, it is important to account for different forms of parental support, that is, time and money, and variation in parental characteristics.

METHOD

This study combined different data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics: the 2013 Roster and Family Transfers module, main interview data file, and the Childbirth and Adoption History File. We implemented a two-step analysis strategy. In the first, we built two different measures of propensities to receive parental support (PPS) in the form of time and money. In the second, we used discrete-time logistic regression models to analyze the effects of these propensities to receive parental support on adult daughters' and sons' fertility.

RESULTS

We find a positive and consistent effect of all types of PPS measures on adult daughters', but not adult sons', likelihood of entry into parenthood. The fertility decisions of adult daughters are highly responsive to the prospect of receiving parental support in the form of time or money.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results reflect the importance of informal support for women's entry into parenthood and highlight gender differences in the perceived and actual costs of becoming parents.

Recruiting custodial grandmothers using Facebook

OBJECTIVES

Recruitment through Facebook is gaining favor as an approach for research, including clinical trials, because of the platform's ability to reach broad and diverse populations. As older adults increase their social media use, recruitment through Facebook has become a viable option. The purposes of this paper are to report the methodological process and lessons learned from recruiting custodial grandmothers (CGMs) for a cross-sectional study examining parenting self-efficacy and psychological well-being.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 113 people consented and accessed the survey online, with 40 (35.4%) completing surveys. The final sample comprised 68 grandmothers, with 59% recruited via Facebook.

METHODS

Facebook recruitment for the online survey included creating a dedicated Facebook study page, accessing existing Facebook pages for custodial grandparents, and using paid advertising. Face-to-face recruitment strategies also were used with paper surveys.

RESULTS

We compared the characteristics of those completing online surveys versus paper surveys. CGMs completing the survey online were significantly younger and more likely to be Caucasian than those completing the paper survey.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicated online recruitment via Facebook is an advantageous method to reach CGMs. However, additional research is needed to determine if other online and social media platforms would be useful in recruiting this population.

Nurturing Grandchildren With Down Syndrome: A Qualitative Study on Grandparents' Needs Using Digital Tools†

Grandparents who have grandchildren with disabilities are an underrepresented group in existing research related to the field. This qualitative phenomenological study’s general purpose is to analyze, from a personal perspective, the situations and needs of grandparents who have grandchildren with Down syndrome. The participants’ ages range from 65 to 85, and the ages of their grandchildren with Down syndrome range from 3 to 21 years. All participants had one grandchild with a disability, except for two, who each had two. A sociodemographic questionnaire was administered, and individual interviews were conducted, using open questions, through phone and/or video calls. An analysis of the participants’ speech was carried out, which implied the development of a system of meta-categories and categories. This analysis was developed manually, given the COVID-19 environment. The results indicate a substantial change from negative feelings caused by the knowledge of the diagnosis to feelings related to positive experiences expressed currently. The participants see themselves as a fundamental source of support (informal, instrumental, practical, social, emotional, and economic) for their families and, mainly, for their grandchildren with Down syndrome. A need for information and training was observed when the grandparents talked about first being informed of the diagnosis and their concerns about the future of these grandchildren and their siblings. They made social demands, such as greater government involvement or more significant opportunities to access resources and rights for their grandchildren. The results are discussed, as are possible future research directions.

Grandchild Caregiving and Cognitive Health Among Grandparents in Rural South Africa

Objectives: We investigate how caregiving for grandchildren is associated with cognitive function among rural South Africans, and whether the association differs by gender. We further investigate whether measures of physical activity or social engagement mediate this association. Methods: Data were from interviews with 3668 Black, South African grandparents in the "Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa" study, conducted between 2014 and 2015. Results: We find that caregiving grandparents have better cognitive function than non-caregiving grandparents, and this association does not differ by grandparent gender. Although grandchild caregiving is associated with physical activity and social engagement measures, and some of these measures are associated with cognitive function, we do not find conclusive evidence of mediation. Discussion: Providing care for grandchildren may stimulate cognitive function for both grandmothers and grandfathers. Neither physical activity nor social engagement explains the association between caregiving and cognitive function.

Validation of the Generative Acts Scale-Chinese Version (GAS-C) among Middle-Aged and Older Adults as Grandparents in Mainland China

The current study examined the psychometric properties of the 20-item Generative Acts Scale-Chinese version (GAS-C) among middle-aged and older adults as grandparents in mainland China. A total of 1013 grandparents (mean age = 58.32 years; 71.9% female) of children from 12 kindergartens were recruited using multistage cluster random sampling. A four-factor pattern of domestic, agentic, communal, and civic generative acts were identified by exploratory factor analysis and further verified by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Subsequently, multigroup CFA was performed to test the measurement invariance across gender, age group and hukou status at the configural, metric, and scalar levels. The Cronbach's alpha value of the total (0.923) and subscales (range from 0.897 to 0.953) was satisfactory, indicating high internal consistency. Additionally, the significant gender differences in the domestic (male = 3.565, female = 3.718, p < 0.05), communal (male = 2.786, female = 2.591, p < 0.01), and civic subscales (male = 2.112, female = 1.864, p < 0.001) and the significant correlations between the GAS-C total scale and subscales with caregiving intensity (r = 0.433, p < 0.01), positive affect (r = 0.397, p < 0.01) and life satisfaction (r = 0.328, p < 0.01), supported concurrent validity. Overall, this study addressed the knowledge gap by validating a reliable and valid instrument to measure grandparents' generative acts in mainland China, contributing to generativity studies cross-culturally in research and practice.

"My problems aren't their fault": Mexican American women managing diabetes while caring for grandchildren

Diabetes affects many aspects of family life for the Mexican American (MA) population. Caregiving grandmothers, the traditional family nurturers, are often simultaneously managing their type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe the perceptions of MA grandmothers managing T2DM while caring for a grandchild. Eight participants were interviewed. Participants consistently reported feeling a personal responsibility for their T2DM self-management as well as for the health and wellbeing of their families, including their grandchildren. Regardless of associated caregiving stress, grandchildren were described as the main source of positive motivation for T2DM self-management.

Predictive Models of Maternal Harsh Parenting During COVID-19 in China, Italy, and Netherlands

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic drastically impacted on family life and may have caused parental distress, which in turn may result in an overreliance on less effective parenting practices. Objective: The aim of the current study was to identify risk and protective factors associated with impaired parenting during the COVID-19 lockdown. Key factors predicting maternal harsh discipline were examined in China, Italy, and the Netherlands, using a cross-validation approach, with a particular focus on the role of allomaternal support from father and grandparents as a protective factor in predicting maternal harshness. Methods: The sample consisted of 900 Dutch, 641 Italian, and 922 Chinese mothers (age M = 36.74, SD = 5.58) who completed an online questionnaire during the lockdown. Results: Although marital conflict and psychopathology were shared risk factors predicting maternal harsh parenting in each of the three countries, cross-validation identified a unique risk factor model for each country. In the Netherlands and China, but not in Italy, work-related stressors were considered risk factors. In China, support from father and grandparents for mothers with a young child were protective factors. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the constellation of factors predicting maternal harshness during COVID-19 is not identical across countries, possibly due to cultural variations in support from fathers and grandparents. This information will be valuable for the identification of at-risk families during pandemics. Our findings show that shared childrearing can buffer against risks for harsh parenting during COVID-19. Hence, adopting approaches to build a pandemic-proof community of care may help at-risk parents during future pandemics.

The Spanish Intergenerational Study: Beliefs, Stereotypes, and Metacognition about Older People and Grandparents to Tackle Ageism

Ageism can be seen as systematic stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination of people because of their age. For a long time, society has accepted negative stereotypes as a norm. When referring to older adults, the United Nations Global Report on Ageism warns about a severe impact. The Intergenerational Study for a Healthy Aging, a questionnaire about believes, stereotypes, and knowledge about older people and grandparents, was administered to 326 Spanish biology and medical students. Here we report the results of stereotype analysis through adjective qualification of the youth and older people performed before the survey. Content analysis of two open questions about metacognition at the end of the survey is also presented. The results show that: (1) The questionnaire promoted metacognition; (2) Positive metacognition toward grandparents was higher than for the general old population; (3) Most participants were not conscious about ageism; (4) Gender was a key factor—male students were more ageist than females; (5) The feeling of guilt was higher in the questionnaire about older people; (6) The metacognition exercise elicited thoughts and, in few cases, the need to take action to tackle ageism. In conclusion, both activities promoted active thoughts about older people vs. grandparents and helped participants realize unconscious ageism—specifically toward the older population—serving as an awareness activity that may help tackle ageism.

Grandparents' and Grandchildren's Shared Festive Leisure

Festive leisure provides experiences that can generate intergenerational well-being. The study aimed to examine the festive leisure activities shared by grandparents and grandchildren, and the link with times, spaces, motives, and well-being that these activities bring to both generations. A cross-sectional telematic survey was carried out with 357 grandparents living in the northern part of Spain, who had grandchildren aged between 6 and 12 years. Both a descriptive and inferential analysis was performed. A high proportion of grandparents and grandchildren share festive activities, which occur on weekends and holiday periods. Private spaces, such as bars, cafeterias, and restaurants are the ones chosen for going out to eat or drink, and open public spaces like parks, squares, and streets are dedicated to traditional festivals, and are excellent scenarios for coexistence and intergenerational social interaction. The reasons that drive this practice are associated with the strengthening of emotional ties and family intimacy. Grandparents consider the practice of shared festive leisure to be beneficial for their personal development because they perceive that, thanks to this leisure, they improve their creativity, physical condition, their happiness and fun, the relationship with their grandchildren, and develop new manual and technical skills.

Grandmothers' care practices in areas of high deprivation of Scotland: the potential for health promotion

In many families grandparents play an essential role by providing secondary care for grandchildren. The family is a key setting for promoting children’s health; however, studies describing health initiatives with grandparents are rare. Grandparents could play an important role in promoting health for their grandchildren within their families and communities. The aim of this study was to examine the care practices of grandparents in families living in areas of high deprivation, and to consider the extent to which grandparents could be at the centre of health-promoting initiatives for children. A family practices approach was used to examine care practices within the framework of family resource (assets/capitals) use. In-depth interviews were carried out with grandmothers (n = 15) and mothers (n = 15) living in areas of high deprivation in Scotland. The results are presented as three economies of family living—political, moral and emotional. Grandparent care was described as a form of social capital, central to the wellbeing of the families, and enabled parents to access education and employment. Grandparent care was supported through families’ ability to access cultural amenities and green space (political). Grandparents’ care practices were described as either being responsible or fun (moral). Love appeared to be at the centre of grandparents’ care (emotional). The strengths and weaknesses of this framework were examined in relation to developing initiatives with grandparents. With further development work, grandparents could be the focus of health initiatives with their grandchildren with the support of appropriate policies and resources within their communities.

In many families, grandparents help by providing childcare. Children’s health is linked to their family’s overall wellbeing and there have been programmes to improve children’s health within the family. These programmes do not usually include grandparents. In this study, we spoke with 15 grandmothers and 15 mothers living in Scotland about the care that grandparents provide to their grandchildren. They described the different ways in which this care was managed in relation to other aspects of family life, like work. Grandmother care was described in two main ways—as either being responsible or as fun. The main driver of grandparent care was emotional—the love grandmothers held for their grandchildren. We consider the ways in which grandparents, with appropriate support from government at different levels, might help promote health in their grandchildren.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) Risk for Declared Family History of Diabetes, in Combination with BMI Categories

Whether categories of family history of diabetes can act as independent risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM-1, -2) has not yet been established, and neither has it been established how categories of body mass index (BMI) affect these relationships. A group of 912 women without chronic diseases, recruited in the first trimester, was investigated: 125 (13.7%) women developed GDM-1 (treated with diet); 21 (2.3%) women developed GDM-2 (treated with insulin); and a control group consisted of 766 non-diabetic women. A multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate adjusted odds ratios (AOR (95% confidence intervals)) of GDM-1 and GDM-2 for declared diabetes in the parents or grandparents (separately). These relationships were investigated in the whole cohort and subgroups of pre-pregnancy BMI. (1) Some categories of the family history were independent risk factors of GDM-1 or GDM-2. Compared to ‘absence of diabetes in the family’, women with diabetes in the father had a 3.68-fold increase in GDM-1 risk (AOR-b = 3.68 (2.23–6.07)), and women with diabetes in the mother had a 2.13-fold increase in GDM-1 risk (AOR-b = 2.13 (1.1–4.14)) and a 4.73-fold increase in GDM-2 risk (AOR-b = 4.73 (1.26–17.77)). Women with diabetes in the grandmother had a 2.34-fold increase in GDM-1 risk (AOR-b = 2.34 (1.29–4.24)). (2) The cumulative assessment of diabetes in the parents and/or grandparents was not related to the intensification of the risk of GDM, except for the increased risk of GDM-1 for diabetes in both mother and grandmothers simultaneously (AOR-b = 8.80 (1.16–66.57)), however, this group was very small. (3) The analyses in the subgroups of BMI categories showed that diabetes in the father was also an independent risk factor of GDM in the subgroup of pregnant women with normal BMI. In the subgroups of overweight and/or obesity, the risk of GDM for paternal and maternal diabetes was approximately twice as high as compared to the results of pregnant women with normal BMIs. Additionally, apart from the maternal influence of diabetes, the results suggest a significant influence of diabetes in the father on the risk of GDM, even (interestingly) in lean pregnant women.

The Role of Grandparents in Israeli Muslim Families with Intellectually Disabled Fathers: Social Workers' Perspectives

Within Israeli Muslim society, men with intellectual disabilities are likely to marry nondisabled women through arranged marriages and create families. This article explores the role of grandparents with these families from the perspective of each family's social worker. A thematic analysis was conducted of 19 semistructured interviews with Muslim social workers serving Muslim families with intellectually disabled fathers. Consistent with cultural norms, paternal grandparents are extremely involved in the lives of these couples and hold responsibilities in many aspects of these couples' family lives. Social workers reported that the nondisabled wives, however, viewed the engagement as intrusive and controlling. Maternal grandparents' contributions were crucially supportive, albeit limited by Muslim cultural norms that placed households under paternal family control. Social workers had conflicted feelings regarding paternal grandparent involvement. Social workers working with Muslim fathers with intellectual disabilities should promote supportive paternal grandparent involvement and ensure that such engagement does not undermine the autonomy or well-being of the nondisabled mothers. Practice guidelines are presented.

An Intergenerational Exploration of Breastfeeding Journeys Through the Lens of African American Mothers and Grandmothers

BACKGROUND

Many individuals comprise a nursing mother's social support network. Grandmothers within African American families, historically, have played a vital role in the transmission of culture. Understanding intergenerational perspectives within African American families related to infant feeding and scholarship about breastfeeding is critical, given the breastfeeding patterns among African American women.

RESEARCH AIM

To describe intergenerational perspectives within African American families, where the mother has successfully breastfed.

METHODS

A prospective, cross-sectional, qualitative design using semi-structured interviews was used. African American nursing mothers and maternal grandmothers (N = 14) residing in the Metro-St. Louis area, who reflected economic and educational diversity, were recruited. Inductive and iterative data analysis, framed by Black Feminist Theory allowed for emerging patterns reflecting the participants' voices.

RESULTS

Three of the six (50%) grandmother participants had breastfed. The majority of the mother participants were married (n = 5; 62.5%) and had a college degree (n = 4; 50.0%) or a high school diploma (n = 1; 12.5%); and four (50.0%) had received the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Three patterns emerged: (a) intergenerational connections; (b) changes in breastfeeding experiences over time; and (c) going with the flow (referring to the choice to work within the constraints of one's circumstances). Grandmothers supported mothers' breastfeeding decisions; grandmothers who had breastfed benefited from the updated information the mothers provided; and grandmothers who did not breastfeed acquired new breastfeeding knowledge, which informed the ways they supported the mothers.

CONCLUSION

The intergenerational perspectives surrounding breastfeeding within African American families participating in this study offer future research directions.

Custodial Grandparent's Job Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Relationship With Parenting Stress and Mental Health

Involuntary job loss during the COVID-19 pandemic adds challenges, especially for custodial grandparents that are taking care of grandchildren. Grandparents are relatively vulnerable, and they need more attention and support when facing the negative impacts of COVID-19. This study analyzed cross-sectional survey data collected from 234 custodial grandparents via Qualtrics Panels in June 2020 in the United States. After using the propensity score weighting adjustment, results from logistic and ordinary least squares regression showed that compared with grandparents that did not lose their job during the pandemic, grandparents that did had more parenting stress and worse mental health. Moderation analysis also showed that social support was a significant moderator of the relationship between job loss and mental health, but not the relationship between job loss and parenting stress. The findings and implications are discussed.

Nonresident Fathers' and Grandparents' Early Years Support and Middle Childhood Socio-Emotional Adjustment

OBJECTIVE

This study investigates how different patterns of nonresident father support for children and mothers in the early years predict middle childhood adjustment, and whether grandparent support has compensating effects.

BACKGROUND

Nonresident fathers' involvement in children's lives benefits socio-emotional adjustment, but it is unclear whether support directed at children is compromised by interparental tensions, or whether other factors may compensate for weaker patterns of father support.

METHOD

Latent class analyses identified patterns of nonresident father support for single mothers and their 34-month-old child (None 35%, Low 16%, Moderate 21%, High 28%) and grandparent support (Low 15%, Moderate Maternal 33%, High Maternal 43%, High Maternal and Paternal 9%), using a sample of 648 families from the Growing Up in Scotland cohort. Effects of father support on children's internalizing and externalizing problems from age 46 to 122 months were explored (n = 352), together with moderating effects of grandparent support.

RESULTS

Low, Moderate and No father support had similar estimated effects on higher externalizing and internalizing problem levels, and steeper increases in internalizing problems. Compared to Low grandparent support, High Maternal and Paternal grandparent support reduced effects of weaker father support on both types of problem; and was more protective than High Maternal grandparent support against internalizing problems.

CONCLUSION

Weaker patterns of nonresident father support in early childhood, characterized by low involvement and interparental tensions or by no contact, were associated with poorer middle childhood adjustment. Support from both sets of grandparents offered children most protection against the effects of weaker father support.

Grandparental dietary provision, feeding practices and feeding styles when caring for preschool-aged grandchildren: A systematic mixed methods review

Grandparents are frequently relied upon to care for their preschool-aged grandchildren. These early years are a crucial age in the development of dietary habits and preferences. This review aims to determine grandparental dietary provision, feeding practices and feeding styles when caring for their preschool-aged grandchildren. Medline, PsycInfo and Web of Science were searched in January 2020. A systematic mixed methods approach was used to synthesize the qualitative (n = 13) and quantitative (n = 7) articles describing grandparents' feeding styles (n = 9), feeding practices (n = 14) and dietary provision (n = 18). Grandparents are serving large portion sizes and encouraging their grandchildren to eat frequently. Results are mixed for the types of foods provided; grandparents provide discretionary foods high in sugar and fat, and some also choose more expensive core foods as treats (e.g., berries). Grandparents engage in feeding practices that promote healthy eating (e.g., creating a healthy feeding environment) and promote autonomy and independence (e.g., considering their grandchild's preferences). However, they also use some coercive feeding practices (e.g., using food as a reward) and may be using indulgent feeding styles, which can be conducive to obesogenic dietary intakes. Interventions targeting grandparents could be an effective way to improve dietary-related health outcomes in young children.

Three-Generation Households in the U.S.: The First Exit After a Child's Birth

Despite the increased prevalence of three-generation households in the U.S., there is still a limited understanding of the dynamics of dissolution of these households. Using event-history analysis and data drawn from the first five waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study and its restricted contextual data, this study describes how long mothers and their newborns spend in three-generation households after the child's birth and whether this duration differs by race and ethnicity. Additionally, it examines the correlates of the first transition out and whether they differ by race and ethnicity. Results indicate that children and their mothers are more likely to experience the first exit between birth and age 1, and a formal test does not find significant differences by race and ethnicity. Several non-economic factors are positively associated with the exit out of three-generation households including a mother's marital status and having a new partner; factors with a negative association include the number of children in the household and whether the focal child is a mother's first kid. Finally, TANF or SNAP receipt and mothers' employment are both positively associated with the first exit out of three-generation households. There are not significant differences in correlates of first exit by race and ethnicity. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Is caring for grandchildren good for grandparents' health? Evidence from a fourteen-wave nationwide survey in Japan

Background

Enhanced female labor force participation is raising the importance of grandparents’ caring for their grandchildren. However, previous studies have reported mixed results of the association between grandchild care and grandparents’ health.

Methods

Longitudinal data of 33,204 individuals born between 1946 and 1955 were collected from a 14-wave nationwide panel survey conducted from 2005 to 2018. We examined how caring for at least one co-residing grandchild aged <6 years was associated with grandparents’ psychological distress (defined by five or higher Kessler 6 score) and poor self-rated health in pooled cross-sectional, fixed-effects, and 3-year follow-up logistic models.

Results

While pooled cross-sectional models showed a positive association between grandchild care and grandparents’ health, the fixed-effects or follow-up logistic models did not find any significant association between them. In the case of grandmothers, the odds ratio of reporting psychological distress in response to caring for grandchildren was 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89–1.08) and 1.04 (95% CI, 0.85–1.27) observed from fixed-effects and 3-year follow-up models, respectively, compared to 0.86 (95% CI, 0.81–0.91) in the pooled cross-sectional model. Similar patterns were observed for self-rated health for grandmothers, while grandfathers’ health outcomes were not sensitive to grandchild care. These results contrasted with those of caring for parents, which had almost consistently a negative association with grandparents’ health.

Conclusion

The results suggest that caring for grandchildren does not have a beneficial or detrimental effect on grandparents’ health.

"This is the worst that has happened to me in 86 years": A qualitative study of the experiences of grandparents losing a grandchild due to a neurological or oncological disease

PURPOSE

Pediatric palliative care focuses mainly on the children suffering from a life-limiting disease, but always includes parents and siblings. However, grandparents are also often highly involved in caring for the child and require additional attention. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of grandparents during the end-of-life care and after the death of a grandchild.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews was chosen. Fifteen grandparents of 10 children who had died of neurological or oncological diseases were interviewed. Participants were recruited among the families cared by the pediatric palliative care team of a children's hospital in northern Switzerland. Grandparents were interviewed at least 1 year after the death of the grandchild. The data was analyzed employing reconstructive interview analysis.

RESULTS

Regardless of the child's diagnosis and circumstances of death, the participants described how the child's death had a major impact on them and their entire family. Grandparents felt obligated to support the family and constantly be a source of support for the parents. They bore a heavy psychological burden as they cared and mourned not only for their dying grandchild but also for their own daughter or son. Grandparents struggled with their ability to communicate about disease and death. They tried to process and make sense of their loss by remembering the deceased child.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

These findings emphasize the importance of identifying and understanding grandparents' suffering. Pediatric palliative care teams can achieve this by actively making contact with grandparents, taking their concerns seriously and demonstrating appreciation for their role in supporting the family.

The experiences of grandchildren who provide care for a grandparent with dementia: A systematic review

Much of the research exploring the experiences of family caregivers of people with dementia has focussed on spouses and adult children. It is hypothesised that other family members at different life stages and with different family roles may experience and perceive the caregiving role differently. The objective of the current review was to explore the experiences of grandchildren who provide care to a grandparent with dementia. A systematic search of four databases identified 12 studies which met the inclusion criteria. An assessment of quality was completed for each of the included studies. Grandchildren described dementia-related changes, changes to their role and relationship with their grandparent, multiple impacts of caregiving, influences of other family relationships on caregiving and positive aspects of caregiving. Many of the included studies met most of the quality criteria for the respective methodological design; however, there was some variation in quality and sample across included studies. The review indicates that assessments and interventions to incorporate grandchildren and the wider family system may help to support family carers to continue to provide care for grandparents with dementia. The research and clinical implications and limitations of the review are also considered.

Positive and Negative Impacts of Caring among Adolescents Caring for Grandparents. Results from an Online Survey in Six European Countries and Implications for Future Research, Policy and Practice

Although up to 8% of European youngsters carry out high-intensity care for a family member, adolescent young carers (AYCs), especially those caring for their grandparents (GrPs), remain an under-researched group. This study aimed at addressing the current knowledge gap by carrying out an online survey in Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The analysis included a final sample of 817 AYCs aged 15-17 years old. AYCs of grandparents (GrPs) were compared to AYCs of other care recipients (OCRs), in order to identify any difference in positive and negative caregiving outcomes and exposure factors between the two groups. Linear or logistic regression models were built, and multivariate analyses were repeated, including a fixed effect on the country variable. AYCs of GrPs experienced more positive caregiving outcomes than AYCs of OCRs across all six countries. Being female or non-binary, and having a migration background, were associated with more negative outcomes, regardless of the relationship with the care recipient. Further research on intergenerational caregiving outcomes is recommended for shaping measures and policies, which preserve the intergenerational emotional bonds, whilst protecting AYCs from inappropriate responsibilities, undermining their mental health and well-being.