The interdependence of health and grandparenting intensity: A dyadic perspective from grandparent couples in the Health and Retirement Study

Abstract Objectives While the intensity of grandparent caregiving has been linked to older adults’ health, limited research has examined the bidirectional associations between grandparenting intensity and health, particularly within grandparent couples. Grounded in Role Strain Theory, Role Enhancement Theory, and Conservation of Resources Theory, this study examines how grandparenting intensity and health (depressive symptoms and self-rated health) predict each other over time, both within individuals (actor effects) and between spouses (partner effects). Methods Participants were 5,529 dyads of American grandparents drawn from the 2010-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, with one member aged 50 and older. Measures included grandparenting intensity over the prior two years, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health. Longitudinal dyadic path analyses were conducted using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model to examine reciprocal associations between caregiving and health among grandfather-grandmother dyads. Results Grandparents’ health predicted subsequent caregiving intensity, whereas caregiving did not predict later health. Better self-rated health and higher depressive symptoms among grandmothers were associated with lower caregiving intensity for both partners. Grandfathers’ depressive symptoms showed inconsistent effects, predicting slightly greater caregiving for themselves and grandmothers in one wave only. Discussion These findings highlight the gendered, interdependent nature of grandparenting. Grandmothers’ health plays a pivotal role in predicting both partners’ caregiving involvement. Associations between grandmothers’ health and caregiving involvement for both partners may reflect time-invariant, unobserved differences between couples rather than causal effects. Couple-based, health-focused approaches may better promote caregiver well-being and support sustainable grandparenting roles.