Perceived Health Status of and Moderating Factorsin Elderly People Caring for Their Grandchildren

ABSTRACT

Objective@#Situations in which elderly people are the primary caregivers for their grandchildren are becoming more common. Thisstudy aimed to investigate moderating factors of and the association between grandchild care and the grandparents’ perceived health.Financial support in return for grandchild care was also investigated as a moderating factor. @*Methods@#Participants included 357 elderly people over the age of 60 years. The assessment to evaluate the perceived health status andsocial support was performed via a questionnaire. It included questions regarding the care of grandchildren and demographic variables,as well as the Medical Outcome Survey (MOS) 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36), and the MOS Social Support Survey (MOSSSS). @*Results@#The subscale scores of SF-36 and MOS-SSS did not differ significantly for grandchild-care status. However, the subscale scoresof SF-36 were significantly higher in groups that received regular financial support from adult children in return for grandchild carethan in groups that did not. @*Conclusion@#Our data suggest that regular financial support in return for grandchild care may be a moderating factor in the associationbetween grandchild care and the perceived health status of elderly people. These findings have important social implications and warrantfuture study to reveal the psychological mechanism of these associations and enhance the health of elderly individuals.Psychiatry Investig 2020;17(4)275-282