Does the transition to grandparenthood influence the health and well-being of older people? Evidence from the CHARLS study in China

Abstract

Objectives: The birth of a new grandchild may lead to role enhancement, positively affecting the wellbeing of grandparents. It may also lead to role overload and role conflict, resulting in negative effects. We examine how the transition to grandparenthood influences the health and well-being of older people in China. Methods: Employing longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, we estimate individual fixed-effects models to examine the impact of transitioning to grandparenthood on functional limitations, life satisfaction and depression. Results: Transitioning to grandmotherhood was associated with a higher probability of reporting one or more functional limitations of daily living, but transitioning to grandparenthood was associated with higher life satisfaction. Effects were similar for grandparents with a rural or urban hukou status. Discussion: Findings suggest that the combination of role enhancement and role strain may generate mixed impacts of transitioning to grandparenthood on older adults’ health and well-being.