דו״ח מאומת

Whether grandparenting is associated with improved health or well-being among older adults is a salient question in present-day aging societies. This systematic review compiles studies that consider the health or well-being outcomes of grandparenting, concerning (1) custodial grandparent families, where grandparents are raising grandchildren without parental presence; (2) three-generation households, where grandparents are living with adult children and grandchildren; and (3) non-coresiding grandparents, who are involved in the lives of their grandchildren. Review was based on literature searches conducted in September 2019 via Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Ebsco. We screened 3868 abstracts across four databases, and by following the PRISMA guidelines, we identified 92 relevant articles (117 studies) that were published between 1978 and 2019. In 68% of cases, custodial grandparenting was associated with decreased health or well-being of grandparents. The few studies considering the health or well-being of grandparents living in three-generation households provided mixed findings (39% positive; 39% negative). Finally, in 69% of cases, involvement of non-coresiding grandparents was associated with improved grandparental outcomes; however, there was only limited support for the prediction that involved grandparenting being causally associated with grandparental health or well-being. Despite this, after different robustness checks (counting all nonsignificant results, taking into account the representativeness of the data and causal methodology), the main finding remains the same: the most negative results are found among custodial grandparents and three-generation households and most positive results among non-coresiding grandparents.…

PMID: 36052183

BACKGROUND: Grandparents represent an important component of child-rearing practices in many contemporary Chinese families. However, limited research has investigated how grandparent involvement is associated with externalizing problem behaviors in preschoolers within three-generation households (where a child lives with both parents and one or more grandparents). This study investigates the relationships among grandparental involvement, family functioning, preschoolers’ emotion regulation, and externalizing problem behaviors. METHODS: Data were collected from 802 preschoolers aged 3 to 6 years residing in three-generation households through questionnaires, including measures of grandparental involvement, family functioning, emotion regulation, and externalizing problem behaviors. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS, including correlation analysis, regression analysis, and path analysis with the bootstrap method (5,000 iterations) to examine the mediation hypothesis. RESULTS: Family functioning and preschoolers’ emotion regulation significantly mediated the relationship between grandparental involvement and preschoolers’ externalizing problem behaviors, with a chain mediating effect size of 5.78% and a total mediating effect size of 48.35%. CONCLUSION: Family functioning and preschoolers’ emotion regulation function as two significant mediators in the association between grandparental involvement and preschoolers’ externalizing problem behaviors. It is recommended that interventions targeting preschoolers’ externalizing problem behaviors in Chinese three-generation families be implemented to promote positive grandparental involvement, enhance family functioning, and strengthen preschoolers’ emotion regulation abilities.…

PMID: 42050737

While the effects of the transition to parenthood are well researched, less is known about how the transition to grandparenthood affects health and labor market outcomes. Using comprehensive Norwegian register data covering the entire population born between 1950 and 1960, we examine the effects of first-born grandchildren born during 2007-2018. Employing event-study models with person-year records, we compare grandparents to not-yet grandparents. Our findings reveal a sharp increase in the likelihood of respiratory infections during the first two years of grandparenthood, with infections increasing by 56% for women and 31% for men. Additionally, grandparenthood modestly reduces the likelihood of doctor's visits related to mental disorders (4.5%) and cardiovascular health (3.3%). Grandmothers also see a decline in musculoskeletal-related visits (3.8%). These health-related changes coincide with notable gendered effects on labor market participation. Ten years after the birth of their first grandchild, employed women are 12% less likely to hold full-time positions compared to a 2% reduction for men. Overall, our findings demonstrate that the transition to grandparenthood significantly reshapes health and economic outcomes for both women and men. The larger effects observed for women likely reflect their greater involvement in informal childcare provision. Our results underscore the intersection of health, family dynamics, and gendered labor market behaviors in late adulthood.…

PMID: 42213758

<h4>Background</h4>Against the backdrop of an increasingly ageing population, safeguarding the mental health and well-being of the older adults has become a shared societal consensus. This study focused on retired older adults and aimed to explore the impact of their retirement experiences on depression and life satisfaction, as well as the underlying mechanisms.<h4>Methods</h4>The Retirement Experience Scale, Social Participation Questionnaire, PHQ-9 Scale, and Life Satisfaction Scale were used to survey 296 retired older adults.<h4>Results</h4>Results showed that in the overall sample, positive retirement experiences significantly predicted life satisfaction through the mediating effect of social participation. Multi-group analyses revealed that among retired individuals who provided grandparental childcare, social participation significantly mediated the relationship between positive retirement experiences and depression, as well as the relationship between positive retirement experiences and life satisfaction. In contrast, social participation had no significant mediating effect among those who did not provide grandparental childcare.<h4>Conclusions</h4>These findings not only elucidate the mechanisms linking retirement experiences to mental health but also offer theoretical insights and practical implications for designing interventions within the active ageing framework.…

PMID: 41691267

<h4>Background</h4>Due to low birth rates, longer life expectancy, and later childbearing, an increasing number of individuals become grandparents later in life. The transition into grandparenthood-encompassing role acquisition, duration, and role engagement-is crucial for understanding the well-being and health of older adults. However, the connection between this transition and well-being and health outcomes among older adults remains underexplored, particularly in a Chinese context that emphasizes family lineage. This study addresses this gap by analyzing longitudinal data to examine how grandparenthood transitions relate to subjective well-being and health among Chinese older adults.<h4>Methods</h4>Using longitudinal data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) 2014-2020, this study investigates the associations between grandparenthood transition -specifically, grandparent role acquisition (i.e., becoming a grandparent), role duration (i.e., duration of being a grandparent), and role enactment (i.e., providing grandchild care)-and three well-being outcomes: life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health. Fixed-effects models are employed to account for unobservable time-invariant heterogeneity.<h4>Results</h4>The transition into grandparenthood is associated with lower life satisfaction, increased depressive symptoms, and improved self-rated health among older adults in China, though these effects appear to be short-term. Additionally, the well-being and health benefits of becoming a grandparent are more pronounced for men compared to their female counterparts.<h4>Conclusion</h4>The findings indicate that transitioning into the role of a grandparent, rather than caregiving per se, is negatively associated with certain aspects of well-being for older adults in the short term. However, this transition seems more beneficial for older men. These results underscore the relationship between becoming a grandparent and changes in the daily lives and well-being of older adults, suggesting that policymakers should develop targeted family support systems to help facilitate a positive adjustment during this transition, especially for grandmothers.…

PMID: 41211410

<b>Background:</b> Fundamental movement skills (FMS) underpin lifelong physical activity (PA) and health, yet many children are failing to meet age-appropriate standards. Caregivers hold a critical influence over children's motor development, but little is known about what helps or hinders family participation, including messaging. This study explored the determinants of family FMS engagement in the United Kingdom (UK) during early childhood, addressing unexplored gaps in how guidance reaches families and the role of grandparents in supporting children's motor development. <b>Methods:</b> Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 caregivers and 8 educators, including 4 grandparents and 2 family hub practitioners who offered original insights. Eleven children aged 3-5 years completed a flexible draw-and-tell task, enabling inclusion of rarely represented 3-year-olds. Thematic analysis was deployed. <b>Results:</b> Families and outdoor spaces were pivotal to children's movement opportunities. However, awareness and understanding of FMS and UK PA guidance were poor, even among educators, disrupting dissemination of information to families. Greater emphasis on PA and FMS concepts within professional development, alongside clearer signposting to resources, more visible public-facing campaigns, and digital formats, could improve how families receive these messages. Tensions emerged between parents' concerns about grandparents' physical capability and grandparents' belief that they could adapt to support children's development. Unexpectedly, no children drew technology despite screen time frequently displacing active play, hinting at its normalisation and regulatory role in children's lives. <b>Conclusions:</b> To enhance family understanding, value, and participation in FMS, UK policy must evolve to become more visible, relatable, and responsive to diverse family needs.…

PMID: 42073140

Middle-aged adults who are parents have better average cognitive performance and lower average brain age compared with middle-aged adults without children, raising the possibility that caregiving slows brain aging. Here, we investigate this hypothesis in two additional groups of caregivers: grandmothers and caregivers for people living with dementia (PLWD). Demographic, questionnaire, and structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data were acquired from n = 50 grandmothers, n = 24 caregivers of PLWD, and n = 37 non-caregiver controls, and BrainAGE was estimated. BrainAGE estimation results suggest that after controlling for relevant covariates, grandmothers had a brain age that was 5.5 years younger than non-grandmother controls, and caregivers of PLWD had brains that were 4.7 years younger than non-caregiver controls. Women who became grandmothers at a later age had lower brain age than those who became grandmothers at an earlier age. Among caregivers of PLWD, stress and caregiving burden were associated with increased brain age, such that the beneficial effect of caregiving on brain age was reduced in caregivers reporting more burden. Our findings suggest that caring for dependents may slow brain aging.…

PMID: 40056157