A study examining the health perceptions and parenting stressors of parenting African-American grandparents

ABNF Journal, The, Sept-Oct, 2002 by Patricia Elaine Nunn

Abstract: The objectives of this study of African-American, parenting grandparents were to examine the antecedents to grandparent parenting, the grandparents' perception of their health status, and their assessment of parenting stress. Thirty-one subjects completed a demographic questionnaire, two questions from the Short form-36-Health Survey, and the Parenting Stress Index (PSI). Results indicated that the grandparents parented minor grandchildren because of biological parent neglect/abuse, abandonment, mental illness, substance abuse, teen mother, or death of a parent. While most grandparents considered their health to be satisfactory, the grandparents, ages thirty to sixty reported a greater number of health concerns. The PSI identified life stress greater than parenting stress. In conclusion, additional research is needed to identify life stresses that add to the parenting burden, and grandparents' needs to continue parenting.

Key Words: Grandparent, Health, Parenting, Stress

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In 1996, grandparents in the United States were the sole providers of care for 269,000 grandchildren, with 43,000 grandparents in Detroit, MI assuming total care of minor grandchildren (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1997). Little is known about the demographics of the Detroit grandparents, the antecedents to their parenting, their perceptions of their health, and the parenting stressors they experience. Neglect and abuse related to parental substance abuse, abandonment, incarceration, and death of a parent have been identified elsewhere as antecedents to parenting (Kelley, 1993). While grandparent parenting occurs in many races and socioeconomic levels, African-American grandparents are disproportionately represented due to the impact that crack cocaine and incarceration have on their children and grandchildren (Minkler & Roe, 1996; Joslin & Brouard, 1995; Minkler & Roe, 1994).

According to 2000 census data, 12% of Black children live with their grandparents in contrast to 5.8% of Latino and 3.6% of Caucasian children. Several studies have confirmed that the variable of caregiver health had strong correlation with level of stress, financial stress, and caregiver burden (Kelley & Damato, 1995; Dowdell, 1993). Stresses associated with caregiving in late life and the greater risk of poor health among low income, African-American and Hispanic elderly make these grandparents at potentially higher health risk because their own needs may go unrecognized and unattended (Joslin & Brouard, 1995).

Other issues that result from raising grandchildren include deterioration of health, social isolation, financial difficulties, and frustrations negotiating public systems for legal support (Minkler & Roe, 1996; Kelley, Yorker, & Whitley, 1997). Once the nature of this parenting phenomenon is fully explicated, effective public health nursing and multidisciplinary, collaborative models can be designed to address the health promotion and health protection needs of grandparent caregivers.

METHODOLOGY

Sample Selection

African-American grandparents, caring for minor grandchildren with no parent in the home, were recruited from three, African-American churches in Detroit, Michigan using flyers and church announcements. The final sample consisted of thirty grandmothers and one grandfather. Ages of the grandparents ranged from thirty-five to seventy-eight, with a mean of sixty years.

Instruments

A researcher-designed Demographic Questionnaire was used to collect data on grandparent ages, education, marital status, background information on the grandchildren, and antecedents to grandparent parenting.

Two questions from the Short-Form-36 Health survey were used to elicit the grandparents' perception of own health status.

The Parenting Stress Index (PSI) was used to reveal stresses in the Parent and Child domains. There is also a total stress index and health scale. This instrument was used because there are no instruments that measure grandparents' parenting stress.

Data were collected from participants by home visit collections.

Data Analysis

Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic, background, and health variables. Response scores on the PSI were tabulated to determine stress in the parent and child domains and other stress unrelated to parenting.

RESULTS

Demographic data about the grandparents are detailed in Table 1. The majority of grandparents were between the ages of 50-60 (35 %) and over age 60 (45%). The younger grandparents ranged from 30-49 (19.4%). Most of the grandparents had either high school diplomas (38.7%), some college (29%), or had college degrees (16.1%). Thirty eight percent were married while all others were single (6.55), divorced (32 %), or widowed (22.6%). Forty five percent of grandparents had annual incomes of $10,000 or less, 29% had $10,00-$19,999, 12.9% at $20,000-$39,000, and 9.7 at $40,000 and above. Most were retired (61.3 %) while 38.7 % worked.

Background information and antecedents to grandparent parenting can be found in Table 2. The grandchildren, ages 1-5 (35.5%) and ages 6-10 (32.3%) comprised the largest age groups. Grandchildren, less than one year, and children, ages 10-15, comprised 13% for each group. The length of time that the majority of the children lived with grandmothers included ranges of 1-5 years (38.7%) and 6 years or more (48.4%). Nearly 10% (9.7%) lived with grandparents for one year or less.