Intensity of Grandparent Caregiving and Life Satisfaction Among Rural Chinese Older Adults

Abstract

This study examined how life satisfaction and grandparent caregiving intensity changed over time among rural Chinese older adults, and whether there was a leading predictor between grandparent caregiving intensity and life satisfaction. Using 4 waves of data from the Well-being of Elderly in Anhui Province of China (N = 1704), we applied latent difference score analysis to explore this relationship. Results indicated that grandparent caregiving intensity decreased and life satisfaction increased over time. There was a lagged effect between grandparent caregiving intensity and life satisfaction, and life satisfaction demonstrated a leading prediction role between these 2 variables. This study confirmed the potentially rewarding aspect of grandparent caregiving, which may lead to greater life satisfaction. The results also revealed that psychological well-being among grandparents is very important for performing activities, such as caregiving.

Parent–child relationships among older Chinese immigrants: the influence of co-residence, frequent contact, intergenerational support and sense of children's deference

“…Generational differences in beliefs and practices of raising children are also common in immigrant families, which may result in conflict and disagreement across generations. In sum, although numerous studies have reported the psychological benefits of providing child-care support to children among urban and rural Chinese older adults (Chen and Liu 2012; Xu et al 2012), our study failed to find such benefits for parent–child relationships among older Chinese immigrants.…”

Sources and directions of social support and life satisfaction among solitary Chinese older adults in Hong Kong: the mediating role of sense of loneliness

“…The current study also revealed that providing support to others was positively associated with optimal life satisfaction by alleviating the sense of loneliness, which echoes other scholars who have argued that achieving an altruistic goal is salient to promoting life satisfaction for older adults and that providing support to adult children or grandchildren could improve life satisfaction of older adults. 21 , 54 Therefore, we suggest that awareness of the benefits of reciprocal support (ie, giving and receiving) for solitary older adults should be improved. We should remove the stereotype that the majority of older adults are frail and dependent on help from others.…”

“…11 , 18 , 19 Recent studies have found that both receiving support from and providing support to adult children or grandchildren can improve the family status of older adults, increase their self-esteem and feelings of commitment to others, and enhance their life satisfaction. 20 , 21 In addition, the size of older adults’ social networks, their frequency of contact with relatives and friends, and the support received from children have all been found to be negatively associated with the sense of loneliness, possibly because sense of loneliness usually stems from feelings of being isolated from significant relationships and being rejected by others. 18 , 22 Sense of loneliness, which is characterized by feelings of depression and anxious response to social isolation, 23 is a distressing problem faced by many older adults.…”

The impact of intensive grandchild care on depressive symptoms among older Koreans

“…Considering that psychological well‐being is associated with depressive symptoms, several previous studies were inconsistent with our findings. One study argued that as the intensity of grandparenting increased, well‐being decreased (Xu et al ., ). Another previous study argued that full‐time caregiving among grandmothers was associated with lower life satisfaction than was part‐time caregiving (Bowers and Myers, ).…”