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Is Raising Your Grandchild Bad for Your Health? The Association Between Custodial Grandparent Status and Health Biomarkers in Taiwanese Grandparents

Author

Listed:
  • Zoe N. Fokakis

    (Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, P.O. Box 6161, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA)

  • Danielle K. Nadorff

    (Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, P.O. Box 6161, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA)

  • Ian T. McKay

    (Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, P.O. Box 6161, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA)

Abstract

Data from two waves of the Social Environment and Biomarkers of Aging Study in Taiwan were analyzed to determine the effects of custodial grandparenting on health in a longitudinal sample. Self-reported measures on respondents’ perception of their health, six health biomarkers, the presence of twelve diseases, and a measure of stress were included. Custodial Grandparents (CGPs) were significantly more likely to report worse health than their peers. However, there were no significant differences in biomarkers, and CGPs were only significantly different from non-custodial grandparents (nCGPs) regarding lower respiratory disease. Results suggest that CGPs do not have significantly worse health than nCGPs, but report feeling less healthy. This disparity is suspected to be due to energy levels or stress sources not assessed by the variables in the original study. These results and their implications based upon the stress-coping model elucidate the need to design interventions that incorporate the East Asian cultural values and practices in order to promote better health outcomes for CGP populations overall.

Suggested Citation

  • Zoe N. Fokakis & Danielle K. Nadorff & Ian T. McKay, 2020. "Is Raising Your Grandchild Bad for Your Health? The Association Between Custodial Grandparent Status and Health Biomarkers in Taiwanese Grandparents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-10, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:5:p:1753-:d:329846
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. 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.
    2. Patricia Anne Kinser & Debra E. Lyon, 2013. "Major Depressive Disorder and Measures of Cellular Aging: An Integrative Review," Nursing Research and Practice, Hindawi, vol. 2013, pages 1-10, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rahel Mathews & Danielle Nadorff, 2022. "Too Many Treats or Not Enough to Eat? The Impact of Caregiving Grandparents on Child Food Security and Nutrition," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-10, May.
    2. 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.

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