To comprehensively examine the influence of intergenerational grandparenting on the quality of life among the elderly, it is imperative to access long-term data capturing their engagement in such activities, the extent of involvement, and various facets of their living conditions. This paper opts for the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and utilizes cognitive function among the elderly as a metric for assessing their quality of life. Intergenerational grandparenting intensity is gauged by both the duration of weekly involvement and the number of grandchildren cared for. Noteworthy is our dataset's inclusion of physical and mental health indices, as well as social standing, enabling us to delve into the underlying mechanisms through which intergenerational grandparenting influences their quality of life, thus providing distinct insights from developing nations.
Our findings indicate a significant enhancement in the cognitive function of Chinese elderly through intergenerational childcare practices. Elderly individuals engaged in such care experienced a notable improvement in cognitive function scores, approximately a 15% increase equating to 0.5601. Moreover, within a certain range, an increase in either the number of grandchildren cared for or the weekly time dedicated to intergenerational childcare significantly bolstered elderly cognitive function. These outcomes may stem from heightened physical activity resulting from childcare responsibilities or from strengthened family bonds and social connections fostering improved mental well-being among the elderly.
Through heterogeneity analysis, we observed that younger age and higher economic status among the elderly were associated with better mitigation of cognitive decline through grandparenting. Mechanism analysis revealed indirect enhancements in cognitive function among the elderly through reduced depression levels, augmented complexity in social relations, and reinforced intergenerational economic support facilitated by grandparenting. Ultimately, our study underscores the multifaceted impact of grandparenting on the cognitive function of Chinese elderly, ultimately enhancing their quality of life.
The implications of our study are significant, offering avenues for retired elderly individuals to sustain their quality of life, aligning with strategies aimed at addressing aging populations [37, 38]. Additionally, it suggests leveraging the elderly's contribution to family care, thus alleviating parental pressures and childbirth burdens. For instance, policies encouraging intergenerational childcare participation could lead to a 15% average improvement in cognitive function among elderly individuals, consequently enhancing their overall quality of life.
Policy interventions could focus on promoting grandparenting as a means to enhance elderly quality of life, emphasizing its benefits for both the elderly and their families. Establishing an elderly-friendly social environment [39, 40], reducing barriers to grandparenting, and facilitating their integration into society are potential strategies. However, the effectiveness of such measures in promoting grandparenting warrants further investigation beyond the scope of this study, highlighting an avenue for future research.
For future research directions, this work relies on cognitive ability as a proxy for elderly quality of life. Future studies could enrich our understanding of elderly quality of life by broadening the scope of assessment beyond cognitive ability. Incorporating measures of economic status, physical health, and emotional well-being would provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing elderly well-being.
For limitations, this work primarily relies on cognitive ability to gauge the quality of life among elderly individuals. While cognitive ability undoubtedly plays a significant role, it's also important to acknowledge that factors like economic status, physical health, and overall happiness are equally pivotal in evaluating the quality of life in this demographic [41, 42].
Furthermore, the discussion on the influencing mechanism of intergenerational care in this study predominantly focuses on three pathways: mental health, social relations, and intergenerational support. However, the potential impact of intergenerational care on elderly individuals encompasses a broader spectrum. For instance, it can contribute to regularizing the daily routines and activities of the elderly, thereby potentially maintaining cognitive abilities. Recognizing the challenges associated with quantitatively studying additional pathways, this study opts to concentrate on these three influential factors. Additionally, the research methodology employed in the mechanism section begins with identifying correlations between the selected mechanism variables and the cognitive abilities of elderly individuals through literature research and is followed by an exploration of the direct effects of intergenerational caregiving on these variables. At the same time, it's important to acknowledge that such impacts may be more intricate, influenced by numerous exogenous factors.
Moreover, this study utilizes mixed cross-sectional data, thus does not aim to capture the longitudinal impact of grandparents' caregiving on individuals throughout the aging process. Due to adjustments in the questionnaire questions in 2012, 2015, and 2018, the cognitive ability scores of the same individual are not directly comparable across different years, precluding the utilization of panel data in this analysis. However, it's worth noting that in real-life scenarios, elderly individuals may commence providing intergenerational care as they age, potentially leading to instances where cognitive decline is halted or even reversed—a topic that remains pertinent and warrants further discussion.