Abstract. Given the growing influence of grandparents on their grandchildren’s upbringing, this study analyzes two key health variables shared by these two generations: diet and physical activity. Interviews were conducted with 114 Spanish grandparents with no physical or cognitive limitations. Questions covered sociodemographic characteristics, the types of foods they serve their grandchildren, and the physical activities that they share with them. The foods were categorized by glycemic index according to whether they were more or less likely to favor overweight and obesity, and the physical activities were categorized as dynamic/sedentary and outdoor/indoor. The data were analyzed using Student’s t-test for independent samples and ANOVAS. The results showed that some of the grandparents’ sociodemographic variables—age, educational level, health status, time spent with grandchildren, and distance from their grandchildren—were significantly correlated with the types of foods served and physical activities shared. Grandchildren’s food consumption and level of physical activity can be directly influenced by their grandparents. Family interventions should take into account the fact that certain sociodemographic variables in grandparents may favor either more or less healthy dietary habits and physical behavior. Resumen. Ante la creciente influencia de los abuelos en la crianza de los nietos, en este trabajo se analiza dos variables de salud claves compartidas entre ellos: la alimentación y la actividad física. Se entrevistó a 114 abuelos españoles, sin limitaciones físicas ni cognitivas, y se les preguntó por sus características sociodemográficas, las comidas que proporcionan a sus nietos y las actividades físicas compartidas. Los alimentos correspondían a índices glucémicos que favorecen más el sobrepeso y la obesidad, y lo contrario; y las actividades físicas dinámicas y sedentarias, de exterior e interior. Los datos se analizaron con la prueba t de Student para muestras independientes y con ANOVAS. Los resultados mostraron que algunas variables sociodemográficas de los abuelos como la edad, el nivel educativo, la salud, las horas juntos y la distancia con sus nietos están relacionadas significativamente tanto con los tipos de comida como la actividad física que comparten. Como conclusión, la comida y las actividades físicas de los nietos pueden estar influidas directamente por sus abuelos. Cualquier intervención familiar debería tener en cuenta que ciertas características sociodemográficas de los abuelos podrían favorecer tanto unos tipos de conducta alimentaria y física más saludables, como todo lo contrario.
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