Grandparental partnership status and its effects on caring for grandchildren in Europe.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Perry G
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7984645 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:OBJECTIVE:Situations in which elderly people are the primary caregivers for their grandchildren are becoming more common. This study aimed to investigate moderating factors of and the association between grandchild care and the grandparents' perceived health. Financial support in return for grandchild care was also investigated as a moderating factor. METHODS:Participants included 357 elderly people over the age of 60 years. The assessment to evaluate the perceived health status and social support was performed via a questionnaire. It included questions regarding the care of grandchildren and demographic variables, as well as the Medical Outcome Survey (MOS) 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36), and the MOS Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS). RESULTS:The subscale scores of SF-36 and MOS-SSS did not differ significantly for grandchild-care status. However, the subscale scores of SF-36 were significantly higher in groups that received regular financial support from adult children in return for grandchild care than in groups that did not. CONCLUSION:Our data suggest that regular financial support in return for grandchild care may be a moderating factor in the association between grandchild care and the perceived health status of elderly people. These findings have important social implications and warrant future study to reveal the psychological mechanism of these associations and enhance the health of elderly individuals.
| S-EPMC7176558 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundCaring for grandchildren is regarded as one of the principle roles of middle- and old-aged adults, especially among rural Chinese grandparents. This study aims to examine the gender differences in depressive symptoms of rural Chinese grandparents caring for grandchildren, based on the gender differences in grandparental role engagement and the theories of role strain and role enhancement.MethodsA total of 4833 rural citizens with one or more grandchildren were selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) conducted in 2015. Grandchild care was measured by continuous variable (duration) and categorical variable (no care, low intensity, moderate intensity, high intensity). Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). We used coarsened exact matching (CEM) to balance the covariates of caregivers and non-caregivers. Following CEM, 1975 non-caregivers and 2212 caregivers were identified (N = 4187). Multilevel linear regression was employed to examine the gender differences in depressive symptoms. We also tested for the moderating role of gender on the association between grandchild care and depressive symptoms.ResultsGrandmothers were more likely to provide grandchild care (54.42% vs 51.43%) at high intensity (61.46% vs 51.01%), with longer duration (39.24 h vs 33.15 h) than that given by grandfathers. Grandmothers suffered more from depressive symptoms than grandfathers, and such gap increased when grandparents were involved in high-intensity care. Grandmothers providing grandchild care, particularly at moderate intensity, were associated with fewer depressive symptoms (Coef. = - 0.087, 95%CI: - 0.163, - 0.010; Coef. = - 0.291, 95%CI: - 0.435, - 0.147), compared with non-caregivers. Grandmothers giving moderate intensity of grandchild care were also associated with fewer depressive symptoms (Coef. = - 0.171, 95% CI: - 0.313, - 0.029), compared with those with low-intensity care. However, such associations were not significant among grandfathers.ConclusionsOur findings highlight the gender differences in depressive symptoms of rural Chinese grandparents caring for grandchildren. Grandparents should be encouraged to engage in grandchild care, but at moderate intensity. The health status of middle- and old-aged adults, particularly females, should be monitored closely. Humanistic care, preventive care and curative treatment strategies focusing on such populations should be developed and refined.
| S-EPMC8507248 | biostudies-literature
Project description: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.
| S-EPMC10519902 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesTo investigate associations between number of children and partnership with depressive symptoms among older Europeans and assess whether associations are greater in Eastern than Western countries. We further analyze whether associations are mediated by provision and receipt of emotional and financial support.MethodsUsing cross-sectional data for five Eastern (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Georgia, Romania, and Russia) and four Western European countries (Belgium, France, Norway, and Sweden) (n = 15,352), we investigated variation in depressive symptoms using linear regression. We fitted conditional change score models for depressive symptoms using longitudinal data for four countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Georgia, and France) (n = 3,978).ResultsUnpartnered women and men had more depressive symptoms than the partnered. In Eastern, but not Western, European countries childlessness and having one compared with two children were associated with more depressive symptoms. Formal tests indicated that partnership and number of children were more strongly associated with depressive symptoms in Eastern than Western Europe.DiscussionAvailability of close family is more strongly associated with older people's depressive symptoms in Eastern than Western Europe. The collapse of previous state supports and greater economic stress in Eastern Europe may mean that having a partner and children has a greater psychological impact than in Western countries.
| S-EPMC6327656 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Across human cultures, grandparents make a valued contribution to the health of their families and communities. Moreover, evidence is gathering that grandparents have a positive impact on the development of grandchildren in contemporary industrialized societies. A broad range of factors that influence the likelihood grandparents will invest in their grandchildren has been explored by disciplines as diverse as sociology, economics, psychology and evolutionary biology. To progress toward an encompassing framework, this study will include biological relatedness between grandparents and grandchildren, a factor central to some discipline's theoretical frameworks (e.g., evolutionary biology), next to a wide range of other factors in an analysis of grandparental investment in contemporary Europe. This study draws on data collected in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe from 11 European countries that included 22,967 grandparent-child dyads. Grandparents reported biological relatedness, and grandparental investment was measured as the frequency of informal childcare. Biological and non-biological grandparents differed significantly in a variety of individual, familial and area-level characteristics. Furthermore, many other economic, sociological, and psychological factors also influenced grandparental investment. When they were controlled, biological grandparents, relative to non-biological grandparents, were more likely to invest heavily, looking after their grandchildren almost daily or weekly. Paradoxically, however, they were also more likely to invest nothing at all. We discuss the methodological and theoretical implications of these findings across disciplines.
| S-EPMC3885520 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Despite persistent schooling-related health disparities in the United States, little is known about the multigenerational effects of schooling on adult health. As expected lifespans increase, direct influences of grandparental schooling on grandchildren's health may become increasingly important. We used multigenerational data spanning 41 years from a national sample of US families to investigate associations of grandparents' educational attainment with global health status, smoking, and obesity in their grandchildren who were aged 25-55 years in 2009. We estimated total effects of grandparental schooling and, by using marginal structural models, we estimated controlled direct effects that were independent of parents' and participants' schooling. Among whites, lower levels of grandparental schooling were monotonically associated with poor health status, current smoking, and obesity in adult grandchildren. There was also evidence suggesting direct effects, which was stronger for poor health status among participants whose highest-educated grandparent lived in the same state. Among blacks, the only association suggesting a total or direct effect of grandparental schooling was for smoking. Despite the relative imprecision of our estimates and possible residual bias, these results suggest that higher levels of grandparental schooling may benefit the health of grandchildren in adulthood, especially among whites. Furthermore, part of those apparent effects, especially for obesity, may not be mediated by parents' and grandchildren's schooling.
| S-EPMC4143078 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesLiving in a partnership has been shown to benefit later life health in general and decrease the risk of cognitive impairment. Few studies have, however, examined whether different types of partnership transitions also differ with respect to their impact on cognitive trajectories, and whether financial resources, healthy behaviors, cognitive stimulation, and social integration can explain these differences.MethodsData came from six waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, which is a representative panel for the population aged 50 years or older, and were collected between 2004 and 2017 in 20 European countries. Our sample includes 215,989 valid person-year observations from 78,984 persons. The mean age at baseline is 64 years, and individuals were observed on average 2.7 times. Cognitive functioning was assessed with measures of immediate and delayed recall on a memory test and verbal fluency. Fixed effects regression models were employed to exploit individual-level variation in partnership and simultaneous cognitive changes.ResultsPartnership status was stable in most respondents (around 90%). Compared to remaining partnered and after controlling for sociodemographic factors, transition to divorce was associated with a steeper decline in immediate and delayed recall. Exploring possible mechanisms, both financial resources and social integration, explained these differences. Additional analyses suggested that effects were mostly driven by individuals with lower education.DiscussionPartnership transitions remain infrequent events in later life, but our findings indicate that they can induce less favorable cognitive trajectories compared to partnered individuals, particularly for those with lower cognitive reserve.
| S-EPMC8200356 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to examine whether there is an association between grandparental care and loneliness, social isolation and/or the size of an individual's social network among community-based adults aged ≥40 years.MethodsCross-sectional data were drawn from a population-based sample of individuals aged ≥40 years living in the community in Germany. Loneliness was measured using a short version of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Social isolation was measured using a scale developed by Bude and Lantermann. The number of important people with whom respondents have regular contact (ie, social network size) was also used as an outcome variable. All respondents were asked whether they privately provide grandparent care (no/yes).ResultsLinear regressions showed reduced loneliness (β=-0.06, p<0.01) and social isolation scores (β=-0.04, p<0.05) among those undertaking care of a grandchild. Regression analysis also showed an increased number of important people with whom individuals had regular contact among those who undertook care of a grandchild (β=1.02, p<0.001).ConclusionFindings indicate a positive association between undertaking the care of a grandchild and the size of an individual's social network, and a negative association between grandchild care and self-rated scores of loneliness and social isolation. These findings build on existing research into the social and health implications of grandchild care among grandparents. Longitudinal studies are required to strengthen the understanding of this association.
| S-EPMC7008440 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Previously, using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) we showed that sons of fathers who had started smoking regularly before puberty (< 13 years) had increased fat mass during childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. We now show that if the paternal grandfather had started smoking pre-puberty, compared with later in childhood (13-16 years), his granddaughters, but not grandsons, had evidence of excess fat mass at two ages: mean difference + 3.54 kg; (P with 1-tailed test) = 0.043 at 17 years, and + 5.49 kg; (P1 = 0.016) at age 24. When fathers of maternal grandfathers had started smoking pre-puberty, their great-granddaughters, but not great-grandsons, had excess body fat: + 5.35 kg (P1 = 0.050) at 17, and + 6.10 kg (P1 = 0.053) at 24 years. Similar associations were not found with lean mass, in a sensitivity analysis. To determine whether these results were due to the later generations starting to smoke pre-puberty, further analyses omitted those in subsequent generations who had smoked regularly from < 13 years. The results were similar. If these associations are confirmed in another dataset or using biomarkers, this will be one of the first human demonstrations of transgenerational effects of an environmental exposure across four generations.
| S-EPMC8782898 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundA compassionate, respectful, and caring (CRC) health professional is very important for human-centered care, serving clients ethically and with respect, adhering to the professional oath, and serving as a model for young professionals. As countries try to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), quality delivery of health services is crucial. CRC health care is an initiative around the need to provide quality care services to clients and patients. However, there is an evidence gap on the status of CRC health care service delivery.ObjectiveThis scoping review aimed to map global evidence on the status of CRC health service delivery practice.MethodsAn exhaustive literature review and Delphi technique were used to answer the 2 research questions: "What is the current status of CRC health care practices among health workers?" and "Is it possible for health professionals, health managers, administrators, and policy makers to incorporate it into their activity while designing strategies that could improve the humanistic and holistic approach to health care provision?" The studies were searched from the year 2014 to September 2020 using electronic databases such as MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Hinari, and the World Health Organization (WHO) library. Additionally, grey literature such as Google, Google Scholar, and WorldWideScience were scrutinized. Studies that applied any study design and data collection and analysis methods related to CRC care were included. Two authors extracted the data and compared the results. Discrepancies were resolved by discussion, or the third reviewer made the decision. Findings from the existing literature were presented using thematic analysis.ResultsA total of 1193 potentially relevant studies were generated from the initial search, and 20 studies were included in the final review. From this review, we identified 5 thematic areas: the status of CRC implementation, facilitators for CRC health care service delivery, barriers to CRC health care delivery, disrespectful and abusive care encountered by patients, and perspectives on CRC. The findings of this review indicated that improving the mechanisms for monitoring health facilities, improving accountability, and becoming aware of the consequences of maltreatment within facilities are critical steps to improving health care delivery practices.ConclusionsThis scoping review identified that there is limited CRC service provision. Lack of training, patient flow volume, and bed shortages were found to be the main contributors of CRC health care delivery. Therefore, the health care system should consider the components of CRC in health care delivery during in-service training, pre-service training, monitoring and evaluation, community engagement, workload division, and performance appraisal.
| S-EPMC8863364 | biostudies-literature