The implications of maternal grandmother coresidence and involvement for adolescent adjustment in South Africa

Abstract

Maternal grandmothers residing in 3-generation households often provide care and support to their grandchildren. However, the implications of grandmother coresidence and involvement for adolescent adjustment have been neglected in the South African literature. This study examined whether the involvement of maternal grandmothers who coreside with grandchildren and their parents differed from that of non-coresident grandmothers. In addition, we assessed the associations between maternal grandmother coresidence and involvement, and adolescents' internalising problems, externalising problems and prosocial behaviour. Self-report survey data were obtained from a sample of 384 "coloured" (mixed-race) and black African Grade 8 and Grade 9 students in Cape Town. The mean age of the participants was 13.96 years, 58% were females and 27% lived in 3-generation households. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in the involvement of coresident and non-coresident grandmothers, and that adolescents in 3-generation and 2-generation households displayed similar levels of adjustment. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that greater maternal grandmother involvement was associated with more adolescent prosocial behaviour (p < .001) regardless of household structure, and with fewer adolescent internalising problems in 3-generation households (p = .03). Findings underscore the need to move beyond the immediate family to consider how grandparents may influence adolescent development.

Grandparent support and mental and behavioural health in middle childhood

“…Support from parents and other relatives was not associated with children's prosocial behaviour. The finding that grandparent support was the only source of support that significantly predicted prosocial behaviour in the regression analyses is consistent with the growing body of research which suggests an independent association between grandparental support and adolescents' prosocial behaviour, both internationally (Attar‐Schwartz et al, ; Yorgason et al, ) and in South Africa (Levetan & Wild, ; Profe & Wild, ; Wild & Gaibie, ). It also expands on previous studies which have relied solely on self‐report measures.…”

“…The empirical evidence has particularly highlighted an association between grandparental involvement and grandchildren's engagement in prosocial behaviour, both concurrently and prospectively (Yorgason & Gustafson, ; Yorgason et al, ). The few studies previously conducted in South Africa have replicated these findings (Levetan & Wild, ; Profe & Wild, ; Wild & Gaibie, ). This suggests that the positive impact of grandparent involvement on grandchildren's prosocial behaviour may be robust across various cultural contexts and may have long‐lasting effects on the child.…”

“…Although numerous studies have found an association between grandparent involvement and fewer internalizing and externalizing behaviours in adolescents (Attar‐Schwartz et al, ; Ruiz & Silverstein, ; Sheridan et al, ), some studies have reported no significant relationship between these variables (Dunifon & Bajracharya, ; Profe & Wild, ). A recent study conducted in South Africa reported that once parental involvement was controlled for, the association between grandparental involvement and problem behaviours was no longer significant (Levetan & Wild, ). However, in this study, grandparent support was not even protective against problem behaviours in the preliminary correlation analysis.…”

“…However, previous studies have suggested that maternal grandparents may have a different influence on children's lives than paternal grandparents. Maternal grandparents were reported as more supportive and affectionate to grandchildren than paternal grandparents (Levetan & Wild, ). There is also evidence that maternal grandmother support and maternal grandfather support have independent associations with children's mental and behavioural health (Lussier, Deater‐Deckard, Dunn, & Davies, ; Wild, ).…”

Will Grandparents’ Co-Residence Inhibit Grandchildren’s Educational Performance?

“…Two studies by Kuan and Yang (2004), Pong and Chen (2010) both found that students living with grandparents in Taiwan had higher test scores than students living without grandparents, but did not explore the specific mechanism. Levetan and Wild (2015) (Mixed) and Black African students in grades 8 and 9 from Cape Town, South Africa, and found that regardless of whether grandmothers live together or not, there is no significant difference in the ability of adolescents of three and two generations to adapt to society. Bol and Kalmijn (2015) used data from the LISS family survey in the Netherlands and found that the impact of grandparents on grandchildren does not increase as the living distance between grandparents and grandchildren is closer.…”