Grandchild Care and Life Satisfaction among Elderly in India: The Role of Gender and Rural-Urban Differences

Anukul Barman, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai

In India, grandchild care is a common responsibility for elderly individuals, but its impact on life satisfaction has shown mixed results in previous research. This study addresses the gap in the Indian context, investigating the association between grandchild care and life satisfaction among older adults. Using data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) – Wave 1 (2017-2018), the study analyzed 25,650 elderly individuals. Employing Ordered Logistic Regression and Propensity Score Matching (PSM), the research examined the influence of gender and rural-urban residence on this association. The findings revealed a significant positive impact of grandchild care on life satisfaction among the elderly. Notably, grandfathers experienced higher life satisfaction when caring for grandchildren compared to grandmothers. Additionally, the study found that the positive association between grandchild care and life satisfaction was significant only in rural areas, with no similar effect observed in urban settings. These results highlight the importance of grandchild care in improving the well-being of elderly individuals in India, particularly in rural areas. The study’s findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and healthcare professionals to recognize and support the role of grandchild care in enhancing the life satisfaction of elderly individuals.

Keywords: Older Adults and Intergenerational Relations

See paper.