Does Social Participation Attenuate the Impact of Grandparenting Stress on Frailty and Psychological Distress in Older Adults?

Parent-grandparent coparenting may induce grandparenting stress. This study examined how grandparenting stress affects frailty and psychological distress in older adults from three-generation households, and the mediating role of social participation. In this cross-sectional study, 381 older adults participating in parent-grandparent coparenting in three-generation households were surveyed. Grandparenting stress, frailty, psychological distress, social participation and socio-demographic characteristics were collected by paper questionnaires. There was a positive correlation between grandparenting stress and the scores of psychological distress and frailty among the older adults in three-generation households (r = 0.390, 0.212, respectively; all p < .01). Mediation analyses showed that social participation could mediate the relationship among grandparenting stress, frailty and psychological distress. Active social participation can reduce the effects of grandparenting stress on older adults’ health, so reducing stress and enhancing social engagement are worthy goals to promote their well-being.