Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40616010›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Does caring for grandchildren influence life satisfaction? A national-level analysis among older adults in India using a propensity score matching approach.

Anukul Barman, Mihir Adhikary, Sunil Sarode

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Anukul BarmanDepartment of Population and Development, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India. anukulbarman169@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-3129-8738
Mihir AdhikaryDepartment of Public Health and Mortality Studies, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3569-5151
Sunil SarodeDepartment of Population and Development, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn the Indian socio-cultural context, the involvement of older adults in grandchild care is a normative expectation and a common household practice. Despite its prevalence, limited empirical evidence exists on how such caregiving responsibilities affect the psychological well-being and life satisfaction of older individuals. This study addresses this gap by examining the association between grandchild caregiving and life satisfaction among older adults in India.

methodThis study draws upon nationally representative data from Wave 1 (2017-2018) of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), comprising 25,650 individuals aged 60 to 80 years. To examine the association between grandchild caregiving and life satisfaction among older adults, we employed Ordered Logistic Regression models to account for the ordinal nature of the outcome variable. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) was also applied to address potential selection bias and ensure comparability between caregivers and non-caregivers based on observed covariates.

resultsThe analysis revealed a statistically significant positive association between grandchild caregiving and life satisfaction among older adults. Specifically, individuals engaged in grandchild care exhibited higher odds of reporting greater life satisfaction (OR = 1.16; 95% CI: 1.10-1.23). Findings from the PSM analysis further supported this relationship, with an average treatment effect (ATE) of 0.057, indicating that caregiving for grandchildren contributes meaningfully to enhanced life satisfaction in later life.

conclusionThese findings underscore the positive role of grandchild caregiving in enhancing life satisfaction among older adults in India. Promoting supportive intergenerational relationships may therefore serve as an important strategy for improving psychological well-being in later life.

Indexed as

CaregiversGrandparentsIntergenerational RelationsPersonal SatisfactionAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansIndiaLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedPropensity ScoreGrandchild careIndiaLASILife satisfactionOlder adults

Identifiers

PMID40616010
PMCPMC12228348

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