Lived experience of being a grandparent in one region of Spain: a qualitative study

BackgroundThe evolution of the family model in Europe in the 21st century, and particularly in Spain, has led to grandparents playing a major role in caring for their grandchildren. Grandparents are required to take on certain functions and roles in order to provide this care. This results in change...

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Main Authors: Sofia García-Sanjuán, Ana Isabel Gutiérrez-García, María José Cabañero-Martínez, Manuel Fernández-Alcántara, Maria del Carmen Rocamora-Rodriguez, Silvia Escribano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1419207/full
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author Sofia García-Sanjuán
Sofia García-Sanjuán
Ana Isabel Gutiérrez-García
Ana Isabel Gutiérrez-García
María José Cabañero-Martínez
María José Cabañero-Martínez
Manuel Fernández-Alcántara
Maria del Carmen Rocamora-Rodriguez
Maria del Carmen Rocamora-Rodriguez
Silvia Escribano
Silvia Escribano
author_facet Sofia García-Sanjuán
Sofia García-Sanjuán
Ana Isabel Gutiérrez-García
Ana Isabel Gutiérrez-García
María José Cabañero-Martínez
María José Cabañero-Martínez
Manuel Fernández-Alcántara
Maria del Carmen Rocamora-Rodriguez
Maria del Carmen Rocamora-Rodriguez
Silvia Escribano
Silvia Escribano
author_sort Sofia García-Sanjuán
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundThe evolution of the family model in Europe in the 21st century, and particularly in Spain, has led to grandparents playing a major role in caring for their grandchildren. Grandparents are required to take on certain functions and roles in order to provide this care. This results in changes to their daily lives, their family relationships and therefore their quality of life.ObjectiveTo explore grandparents’ lived experience of being involved in the upbringing and care of grandchildren and to determine how this affects their quality of life.MethodologyA descriptive qualitative design was used. The data collection strategy involved two focus groups in two health centres in the province of Alicante (Spain), which were attended by 19 grandparents. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsFour themes and their respective sub-themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) Not only caring, but also raising (implications for upbringing; dealing with their children’s rules; nutrition of grandchildren); (2) Motivation for providing care (it is what families do; financial support; barriers to caregiving that outweigh the reasons for caregiving); (3) Significance of gender (grandmothers bring up, grandfathers help out; cultural burden of caregiving for women) and (4) Implications of care (negative aspects of caregiving; positive aspects of caregiving).ConclusionThe study findings show that while grandparents recognise the value and benefits of providing regular childcare, there are important challenges that need to be addressed. It would therefore be advisable for health professionals to take into account the experience of grandparent caregivers and the process of caring for young children when developing inclusive policies for this population of caregivers.
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spelling doaj-art-fb7b166827e343a08b7df2e1e77474822025-08-20T02:27:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652024-11-011210.3389/fpubh.2024.14192071419207Lived experience of being a grandparent in one region of Spain: a qualitative studySofia García-Sanjuán0Sofia García-Sanjuán1Ana Isabel Gutiérrez-García2Ana Isabel Gutiérrez-García3María José Cabañero-Martínez4María José Cabañero-Martínez5Manuel Fernández-Alcántara6Maria del Carmen Rocamora-Rodriguez7Maria del Carmen Rocamora-Rodriguez8Silvia Escribano9Silvia Escribano10Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Alicante, Alicante, SpainInstitute of Health and Biomedical Research of Alicante (ISABIAL), Group of Person-Centred Care and Innovation in Health Outcomes, University of Alicante, Alicante, SpainDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Alicante, Alicante, SpainEYCC Research Group, University of Alicante, Alicante, SpainDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Alicante, Alicante, SpainInstitute of Health and Biomedical Research of Alicante (ISABIAL), Group of Person-Centred Care and Innovation in Health Outcomes, University of Alicante, Alicante, SpainDepartment of Health Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Alicante, Alicante, SpainDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Alicante, Alicante, SpainInstitute of Health and Biomedical Research of Alicante (ISABIAL), Group of Person-Centred Care and Innovation in Health Outcomes, University of Alicante, Alicante, SpainDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Alicante, Alicante, SpainInstitute of Health and Biomedical Research of Alicante (ISABIAL), Group of Person-Centred Care and Innovation in Health Outcomes, University of Alicante, Alicante, SpainBackgroundThe evolution of the family model in Europe in the 21st century, and particularly in Spain, has led to grandparents playing a major role in caring for their grandchildren. Grandparents are required to take on certain functions and roles in order to provide this care. This results in changes to their daily lives, their family relationships and therefore their quality of life.ObjectiveTo explore grandparents’ lived experience of being involved in the upbringing and care of grandchildren and to determine how this affects their quality of life.MethodologyA descriptive qualitative design was used. The data collection strategy involved two focus groups in two health centres in the province of Alicante (Spain), which were attended by 19 grandparents. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsFour themes and their respective sub-themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) Not only caring, but also raising (implications for upbringing; dealing with their children’s rules; nutrition of grandchildren); (2) Motivation for providing care (it is what families do; financial support; barriers to caregiving that outweigh the reasons for caregiving); (3) Significance of gender (grandmothers bring up, grandfathers help out; cultural burden of caregiving for women) and (4) Implications of care (negative aspects of caregiving; positive aspects of caregiving).ConclusionThe study findings show that while grandparents recognise the value and benefits of providing regular childcare, there are important challenges that need to be addressed. It would therefore be advisable for health professionals to take into account the experience of grandparent caregivers and the process of caring for young children when developing inclusive policies for this population of caregivers.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1419207/fullcaregivinggrandchildrengrandparentslife experiencequalitative research
spellingShingle Sofia García-Sanjuán
Sofia García-Sanjuán
Ana Isabel Gutiérrez-García
Ana Isabel Gutiérrez-García
María José Cabañero-Martínez
María José Cabañero-Martínez
Manuel Fernández-Alcántara
Maria del Carmen Rocamora-Rodriguez
Maria del Carmen Rocamora-Rodriguez
Silvia Escribano
Silvia Escribano
Lived experience of being a grandparent in one region of Spain: a qualitative study
Frontiers in Public Health
caregiving
grandchildren
grandparents
life experience
qualitative research
title Lived experience of being a grandparent in one region of Spain: a qualitative study
title_full Lived experience of being a grandparent in one region of Spain: a qualitative study
title_fullStr Lived experience of being a grandparent in one region of Spain: a qualitative study
title_full_unstemmed Lived experience of being a grandparent in one region of Spain: a qualitative study
title_short Lived experience of being a grandparent in one region of Spain: a qualitative study
title_sort lived experience of being a grandparent in one region of spain a qualitative study
topic caregiving
grandchildren
grandparents
life experience
qualitative research
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1419207/full
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