The Association between Transition into Grandparenthood and Chinese Older Adults’ Subjective Well-Being and Health: A Longitudinal Study

Huan Wang^1*Danyang Wang¹Jiahao Yu¹Jin Wang^2*

• ¹Institute of Population Research, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
• ²Nutrition Department, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

Background: Due to low birth rates, longer life expectancy, and later childbearing, an increasing number of individuals become grandparents later in life. The transition into grandparenthood — encompassing role acquisition, duration, and role engagement — is crucial for understanding the well-being and health of older adults. However, the connection between this transition and well-being and health outcomes among older adults remains underexplored, particularly in a Chinese context that emphasizes family lineage. This study addresses this gap by analyzing longitudinal data to examine how grandparenthood transitions relate to subjective well-being and health among Chinese older adults. Methods: Using longitudinal data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) 2014–2020, this study investigates the associations between grandparenthood transition —specifically, grandparent role acquisition (i.e., becoming a grandparent), role duration (i.e., duration of being a grandparent), and role enactment (i.e., providing grandchild care) — and three well-being outcomes: life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health. Fixed-effects models are employed to account for unobservable time-invariant heterogeneity. Results: The transition into grandparenthood is associated with lower life satisfaction, increased depressive symptoms, and improved self-rated health among older adults in China, though these effects appear to be short-term. Additionally, the well-being and health benefits of becoming a grandparent are more pronounced for men compared to their female counterparts. Conclusions: The findings indicate that transitioning into the role of a grandparent, rather than caregiving per se, is negatively associated with certain aspects of well-being for older adults in the short term. However, this transition seems more beneficial for older men. These results underscore the relationship between becoming a grandparent and changes in the daily lives and well-being of older adults, suggesting that policymakers should develop targeted family support systems to help facilitate a positive adjustment during this transition, Transition into Grandparenthood and Related Outcomes especially for grandmothers.