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

Abstract

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.

The Influence of Neighbourhoods and the Social Environment on Sedentary Behaviour in Older Adults in Three Prospective Cohorts

“…However, we also need to be wary of the consequences of providing care. While providing care for grandchildren has been shown to be associated with good health [54], the strongest association (in terms of coefficients) was for the 1930s cohort and is likely to be driven by the need to provide care to partners. Such care is often very demanding and stressful and has the potential to have an adverse impact on health for older carers [55].…”

Needs of Grandparents of Preschool-Aged Children with ASD in Sweden

“…This line of research suggests that those grandparents who look after their grandchildren experience better health than those who do not (Di Gessa et al 2016a). This research has also shown that grandparental childcare has differential effects on men's and women's health outcomes (Di Gessa et al 2016b), with women experiencing lower levels of psychological well-being (Muller and Litwin 2011). Literature on intergenerational relations has indicated that a typical Swedish household includes two generations, whereas three-generation households are very rare (Fors and Lennartsson 2008).…”

Changing Neighborhoods and Residents’ Health Perceptions: The Heart Healthy Hoods Qualitative Study

“…In contrast, we highlighted positive aspects related to the release of certain social norms, fostering individual responsibility required to maintain health. Examples of positive changes affecting elderly are the value given to the responsibility on care, both self-care and care of younger generations [46], as well as the great value given to the role played by institutions and health policies in neighborhoods [47] like local health programs and actions taken around active aging [48]. Studies on leisure have detected how participation of women in the social public sphere—while maintaining responsibilities in private area—would be a positive result of socio–cultural change [49].…”