Association between positive grandparental involvement during childhood and generativity in late life among community-dwelling, cognitively intact, older adults in Japan.

AIM

Generativity is increasingly being recognized as a key element of healthy aging. The present study investigated whether children who received more positive grandparental involvement would show higher generativity in late life.

METHODS

In 2017, 173 older adults living in Wakuya City (Miyagi Prefecture, Japan), and who showed normal cognition based on the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment Screen, participated in a self-report life course survey (age range: 65-88 years). The association between positive grandparental involvement in childhood and generativity (measured by the Loyola Generativity Scale) was investigated using multiple linear regression adjusted for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Compared with older adults without or had low positive grandparental involvement in childhood, a higher level of generativity was observed among those with medium (β = 1.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.24-3.62) and high positive grandparental involvement (β = 2.09, 95% CI: 0.32-3.87), adjusting for age, gender, memory performance, depressive symptoms, childhood socio-economic status and parental involvement. The significant dose-response association remained even after further adjusting for education and current grandparental experiences.

CONCLUSION

Greater positive grandparental involvement in childhood was associated with a higher level of generativity among community-dwelling, cognitively intact, Japanese older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int ••; ••: ••-•• Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; ••: ••-••.