IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/eujoag/v19y2022i3d10.1007_s10433-021-00674-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Grandparenting, health, and well-being: a systematic literature review

Author

Listed:
  • Mirkka Danielsbacka

    (University of Turku)

  • Lenka Křenková

    (Charles University)

  • Antti O. Tanskanen

    (University of Turku)

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Mirkka Danielsbacka & Lenka Křenková & Antti O. Tanskanen, 2022. "Grandparenting, health, and well-being: a systematic literature review," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 341-368, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:19:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s10433-021-00674-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s10433-021-00674-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10433-021-00674-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10433-021-00674-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Catherine Chase Goodman, 2003. "Intergenerational Triads in Grandparent-Headed Families," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 58(5), pages 281-289.
    2. Bruno Arpino & Valeria Bordone & Nicoletta Balbo, 2018. "Grandparenting, education and subjective well-being of older Europeans," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 251-263, September.
    3. Minkler, M. & Fuller-Thomson, E., 1999. "The health of grandparents raising grandchildren: Results of a national study," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 89(9), pages 1384-1389.
    4. Li-Jung Ku & Sally Stearns & Courtney Houtven & George Holmes, 2012. "The health effects of caregiving by grandparents in Taiwan: an instrumental variable estimation," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 10(4), pages 521-540, December.
    5. Taehyun Ahn & Kyong Duk Choi, 2019. "Grandparent caregiving and cognitive functioning among older people: evidence from Korea," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 553-586, June.
    6. Ice, Gillian H. & Sadruddin, Aalyia F.A. & Vagedes, Amy & Yogo, Jaja & Juma, Elizabeth, 2012. "Stress associated with caregiving: An examination of the stress process model among Kenyan Luo elders," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(12), pages 2020-2027.
    7. Feinian Chen & Guangya Liu, 2012. "The Health Implications of Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren in China," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 67(1), pages 99-112.
    8. Xu, Hongwei, 2019. "Physical and mental health of Chinese grandparents caring for grandchildren and great-grandparents," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 106-116.
    9. Kim, Jinyoung & Durden, Emily, 2007. "Socioeconomic status and age trajectories of health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(12), pages 2489-2502, December.
    10. Luo, Ye & Pan, Xi & Zhang, Zhenmei, 2019. "Productive activities and cognitive decline among older adults in China: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 96-105.
    11. Katharina Mahne & Oliver Huxhold, 2015. "Grandparenthood and Subjective Well-Being: Moderating Effects of Educational Level," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 70(5), pages 782-792.
    12. Mary Elizabeth Hughes & Linda J. Waite & Tracey A. LaPierre & Ye Luo, 2007. "All in the Family: The Impact of Caring for Grandchildren on Grandparents' Health," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 62(2), pages 108-119.
    13. Komonpaisarn, Touchanun & Loichinger, Elke, 2019. "Providing regular care for grandchildren in Thailand: An analysis of the impact on grandparents’ health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 117-125.
    14. Li-Jung E. Ku & Sally C. Stearns & Courtney H. Van Houtven & Shoou-Yih D. Lee & Peggye Dilworth-Anderson & Thomas R. Konrad, 2013. "Impact of Caring for Grandchildren on the Health of Grandparents in Taiwan," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 68(6), pages 1009-1021.
    15. Giorgio Brunello & Lorenzo Rocco, 2019. "Grandparents in the blues. The effect of childcare on grandparents’ depression," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 587-613, June.
    16. Natasha Pilkauskas & Melissa Martinson, 2014. "Three-generation family households in early childhood: Comparisons between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 30(60), pages 1639-1652.
    17. Danielsbacka, Mirkka & Tanskanen, Antti O. & Coall, David A. & Jokela, Markus, 2019. "Grandparental childcare, health and well-being in Europe: A within-individual investigation of longitudinal data," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 230(C), pages 194-203.
    18. Ates, Merih, 2017. "Does grandchild care influence grandparents’ self-rated health? Evidence from a fixed effects approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 67-74.
    19. Meredith Minkler & Esme Fuller-Thomson, 2005. "African American Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A National Study Using the Census 2000 American Community Survey," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 60(2), pages 82-92.
    20. Feinian Chen & Christine A. Mair & Luoman Bao & Yang Claire Yang, 2015. "Race/Ethnic Differentials in the Health Consequences of Caring for Grandchildren for Grandparents," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 70(5), pages 793-803.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kaylor-Tapscott, Makena L. & Sullivan, Maureen A., 2024. "Caregiver stress, parenting, and child outcomes among grandfamilies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    2. Francesca Zanasi & Bruno Arpino & Valeria Bordone & Karsten Hank, 2023. "The prevalence of grandparental childcare in Europe: a research update," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Wang, Lianjie & Tang, Yao, 2023. "Impacts of intergenerational caregiving on grandparents’ health: Implications for SDG-3," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 584-598.
    4. Htet Lin Htun & Achamyeleh Birhanu Teshale & Alice J Owen & Joanne Ryan & Robyn L Woods & Suzanne G Orchard & André Hajek & Thom Lysen & Raj C Shah & Trevor T-J Chong & Kerry M Sheets & Johanna Joyce , 2024. "Social Activities and Risk of Dementia in Community-Dwelling Older People: Gender-Specific Findings From a Prospective Cohort Study," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 79(5), pages 510-193.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wang, Shuhong & Li, Shengxiao (Alex) & Hu, Wanyang, 2022. "Grandparenting and subjective well-being in China: The moderating effects of residential location, gender, age, and income," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 315(C).
    2. Hongwei Xu, 2022. "Grandparenting and Cognitive Functioning in China," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(1), pages 285-316, February.
    3. repec:zbw:bofitp:2020_018 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Lin, Mengyun & Wang, Qing, 2019. "Center-based childcare expansion and grandparents' employment and well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    5. Wang, Hao & Fidrmuc, Jan & Luo, Qi, 2020. "Grandparenting and well-being of the elderly in China," BOFIT Discussion Papers 18/2020, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    6. Wang, Hao & Fidrmuc, Jan & Luo, Qi, 2020. "Grandparenting and well-being of the elderly in China," BOFIT Discussion Papers 18/2020, Bank of Finland, Institute for Economies in Transition.
    7. Danielsbacka, Mirkka & Tanskanen, Antti O. & Coall, David A. & Jokela, Markus, 2019. "Grandparental childcare, health and well-being in Europe: A within-individual investigation of longitudinal data," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 230(C), pages 194-203.
    8. Peter Eibich & Xianhua Zai, 2022. "Are the grandparents alright? The health consequences of grandparental childcare provision," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2022-023, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    9. Xue Yang & Doudou Yin, 2022. "The Protective Effect of Caring for Grandchildren on the Mental Health of the Elderly: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-15, January.
    10. Wang, Sophie Xuefei & Bansak, Cynthia, 2022. "Are Grandparents a Good Substitute for Parents as the Primary Caregiver? The Impact of Grandparents on Children's Academic Performance," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1100, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    11. Karsten Hank & Giulia Cavrini & Giorgio Gessa & Cecilia Tomassini, 2018. "What do we know about grandparents? Insights from current quantitative data and identification of future data needs," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 225-235, September.
    12. Leimer, Birgit & van Ewijk, Reyn, 2022. "Are grandchildren good for you? Well-being and health effects of becoming a grandparent," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    13. Shiming Liao & Ling Qi & Jie Xiong & Jie Yan & Ruoxi Wang, 2020. "Intergenerational Ties in Context: Association between Caring for Grandchildren and Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged and Older Chinese," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-18, December.
    14. Ellwardt, Lea & Hank, Karsten & Mendes de Leon, Carlos F., 2021. "Grandparenthood and risk of mortality: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    15. Taehyun Ahn & Kyong Duk Choi, 2019. "Grandparent caregiving and cognitive functioning among older people: evidence from Korea," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 553-586, June.
    16. Choi, Seung-won Emily & Zhang, Zhenmei, 2021. "Caring as curing: Grandparenting and depressive symptoms in China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    17. Komonpaisarn, Touchanun & Loichinger, Elke, 2019. "Providing regular care for grandchildren in Thailand: An analysis of the impact on grandparents’ health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 117-125.
    18. Herrera, M. Soledad & Galkuté, Milda & Fernández, M. Beatriz & Elgueta, Raúl, 2022. "Grandparent-grandchild relationships, generativity, subjective well-being and self-rated health of older people in Chile," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    19. Xu, Hongwei, 2019. "Physical and mental health of Chinese grandparents caring for grandchildren and great-grandparents," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 106-116.
    20. Ates, Merih, 2017. "Does grandchild care influence grandparents’ self-rated health? Evidence from a fixed effects approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 67-74.
    21. Di Gessa, Giorgio & Glaser, Karen & Tinker, Anthea, 2016. "The impact of caring for grandchildren on the health of grandparents in Europe: A lifecourse approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 166-175.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:19:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s10433-021-00674-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.