Grandparent-grandchild interactions in successful aging in Sri Lanka

This study will collect pilot data about elders' interactions with young people, especially their grandchildren, in order to characterize the nature and magnitude of each grandparent-grandchild network and their interactions. We recruited grandparents in both urban and rural areas of Sri Lanka, where coresidence with their children and grandchildren is common, and included older adults who live with their grandchildren as well as older adults who do not live with their grandchildren, so as to see if the frequency or quality of interaction is different between those two family formations. We hypothesize that interactions with grandchildren, especially young ones, are unique and induce affective, cognitive, and physical activity changes in the grandparent, which, in turn, are linked with better well-being and health outcomes. Presently, data collection is complete and data analysis is ongoing.