Is grandparental childcare socio-economically patterned? Evidence from the English longitudinal study of ageing

Intersectional Inequalities in the Transition to Grandparenthood and Cognitive Functioning: A Longitudinal Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy

OBJECTIVES

In aging societies, more people become vulnerable to experiencing cognitive decline. Simultaneously, the role of grandparenthood is central for older adults and their families. Our study investigates inequalities in the level and trajectories of cognitive functioning among older adults, focusing on possible intersectional effects of social determinants and grandparenthood as a life course transition that may contribute to delaying cognitive decline.

METHODS

Using longitudinal data from the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe, we analyzed a sample of 19,953 individuals aged 50-85 without grandchildren at baseline. We applied multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy to investigate variation in cognitive functioning across 48 intersectional strata, defined by sex/gender, migration, education, and occupation. We allowed the impact of becoming a grandparent on cognitive functioning trajectories to vary across strata by including random slopes.

RESULTS

Intersectional strata accounted for 17.43% of the overall variance in cognitive functioning, with most of the stratum-level variation explained by additive effects of the stratum-defining characteristics. Transition to grandparenthood was associated with higher cognitive functioning, showing a stronger effect for women. Stratum-level variation in the grandparenthood effect was modest, especially after accounting for interactions between grandparenthood and the stratum-defining variables.

DISCUSSION

This study highlights the importance of social determinants for understanding heterogeneities in older adults' level of cognitive functioning and its association with the transition to grandparenthood. Cumulative disadvantages negatively affect cognitive functioning, hence adopting an intersectional lens is useful to decompose inequalities and derive tailored interventions to promote equal healthy aging.

Determinants of Trajectories of Informal Caregiving in later life. Evidence from England

Although long-term consequences of informal care provision are well investigated, fewer studies have examined trajectories of informal care provision among older people and the socioeconomic, demographic, health, and family characteristics associated with them. We use data from four waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, with 6,561 respondents followed for 6 years (2012/3 to 2018/9). We used group-based trajectory modelling to group people's provision of care over time into a finite number of distinct trajectories of caregiving. Using multinomial logistic regressions, we then investigated characteristics associated with these trajectories. Four distinct trajectories were identified representing "stable intensive", "increasing intensive", "decreasing", and "stable no care". Results suggest that, although there are socioeconomic, demographic, and health differences across the trajectories of caregiving (with younger women in good health and poorer socioeconomic status more likely to care intensively throughout), family characteristics are their main drivers. Respondents who live alone, with no children, and no parents alive are more likely to never provide care, whereas those with older parents and who live with adults in poor health are more likely to provide stable intensive care. Also, changes in family characteristics (e.g. death of parents, widowhood, or deterioration of the partner's health) are associated with trajectories representing increases or decreases of caregiving over time. Overall, trajectories of informal caregiving undertaken by older people are varied and these patterns are mostly associated with both the availability and health of family members, suggesting that the needs factors represent the most immediate reason for caregiving commitments.

The prevalence of grandparental childcare in Europe: a research update

We investigate (a) how the proportion of European grandparents providing childcare changed over a period of 15 years, (b) how these proportions differ by gender and education, and (c) how countries not covered in earlier analyses fit into previously identified regional patterns of grandparental childcare in Europe. Using data from Waves 1, 2, and 8 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), our descriptive analysis provides estimates of the prevalence and intensity of grandparental childcare in 26 European countries as well as of the changes therein over time and across socio-demographically defined groups. Overall, the prevalence and intensity of grandparental childcare in Europe has remained fairly stable over time, with minor increases. Proportions of grandparents providing any childcare strongly vary, however, across countries (from 24 to 60%). Grandmothers are generally more likely to provide childcare than grandfathers, while differences based on educational levels are less clear-cut. Central and southeastern Europe, representing the bulk of the 'new' countries in the analysis, exhibit patterns of grandparental childcare closely resembling those observed in Mediterranean countries. Our analysis revealed an overall stability over time rather than change in grandparents' provision of childcare in Europe, with substantial variations across welfare state regimes and within countries when accounting for grandparents' gender and educational levels. Including countries that had previously been excluded from other studies challenges the 'narrative' that has emerged around a negative macrolevel association between the provision of extensive and intensive grandparental childcare.

Intersectional inequalities in the transition to grandparenthood and cognitive functioning: A longitudinal Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy (MAIHDA)

Objectives

With aging societies, more people become vulnerable to experiencing cognitive decline. While normal aging is associated with a deterioration in certain cognitive abilities, little is known about how social determinants intersect to create late-life cognitive functioning inequalities. Simultaneously, the role of grandparenthood is central for older adults and their families. There are indications that social determinants intersect to modulate the effect of the transition to grandparenthood, but further evidence is needed. Our study investigates the relation of transition to grandparenthood with cognitive functioning and explores differences across intersectional strata.

Methods

Using longitudinal data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, we analyzed a sample of 19,953 individuals aged 50-85 without grandchildren at the baseline. We applied Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy to investigate cognitive functioning differences across 48 intersectional strata, defined by sex/gender, migration, education, and occupation. We allowed the impact of becoming a grandparent to vary across strata by including random slopes.

Results

Intersectional strata accounted for 17.43% of the overall variance in cognitive functioning, with most of the stratum-level variation explained by additive effects of the stratum-defining characteristics. Transition to grandparenthood was associated with higher cognitive functioning, with a stronger effect for women. Stratum-level variation in the grandparenthood effect was modest.

Discussion

This study highlights the importance of social determinants for understanding heterogeneities in the association of transition to grandparenthood with cognitive functioning. Adopting an intersectional lens is useful to decompose inequalities and derive tailored interventions to promote equal healthy aging.