A Descriptive Study to assess the level of stress among grandparents regarding rearing of their grandchildren who have employed parents at selected areas of district Mohali, Punjab

 

Ms. Pankaj Kumari¹, Mrs. Sonia Sharma²

¹MSc. Nursing Student, Mata Sahib Kaur College of Nursing, Balongi (Mohali)

²Assistant Professor, Mata Sahib Kaur College of Nursing, Balongi (Mohali)

 

ABSTRACT:

Stress generally refers to two things: the psychological perception of pressure, on the one hand, and the body's response to it, on the other, which involves multiple systems, from metabolism to muscles to memory. The stress that grandparents experience as repeat parents is quite different from the routine kinds of stress usually associated with raising children. Many of the grandchildren have substantial unmet physical, developmental, and emotional needs, and share an orientation toward and a history of family crisis that is different than the world of grandparents. So to minimize the stress of grandparents stress management booklet is provided. “A descriptive study to assess the level of stress among grandparents regarding rearing of their grandchildren who have employed parents at selected areas of district Mohali, Punjab.” Total 100 grandparents of age group of 50-65 years were taken by using convenient sampling technique. The stress was assessed by self- structured rating scale consists of 22 items. Collected data was analysed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The 82% had moderate level of stress and 18% had mild level of stress. The analysis revealed that the mean value of stress was 29 and the standard deviation was 7.1. After that i have provided the booklet on stress management. That might be helpful for reducing the stress level of the grandparents.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Grandparents have always played an important role in family life. The first major change is the provision of child care. Grandparents, mostly grandmothers, are the major providers of child care for preschool children, particularly for babies and toddlers, when both their parents are in the workforce.

 

 

 

Grandparents also help parents with school-age children by picking them up from school, and by caring for them during school vacations. The second change for grandparents, and the one which is associated with more difficult issues in their own lives, is when they have to take over full responsibility for bringing up grandchildren because their parents are unable to do because of drug or alcohol abuse. The relationship that grandparents have with their grandchildren, can also be affected by the divorce and sometimes re-partnering of the parent generation.¹

 

Grandparents are often at an age when caring for young children is physically burdensome or when they have clearly hoped to be doing something else in this stage of their lives. Grandparents, with the grandchildren in their homes, see and must contend with children's day-in, day-out beh Recent changes in family and society have meant that the roles grandparents take on have changed. Many grandparents are playing a bigger and more responsible part of grandchild care than they may have expected, which means additional pressures on their time, their health and their finances. The increasing importance of grandparents, particularly as cares for children, has positive effects for society as a whole and needs support to continue to be.

 

NEED:

Recent changes in family and society have meant that the roles grandparents take on have changed. Many grandparents are playing a bigger and more responsible part of grandchild care than they may have expected, which means additional pressures on their time, their health and their finances. The increasing importance of grandparents, particularly as cares for children, has positive effects for society as a whole and needs support to continue to be effective.³

 

The involvement of grandmothers in their grandchildren’s care varies a great deal, depending on individual, ethnic, cultural, economic and parent’s age factors. It is also not a static situation: as parents evolve around different life challenges, grandmothers may change from “vacation buddies” to daily caretakers and eventually can be pushed into a full custody situation or, less likely, transition back to their previous roles.⁴

 

Social isolation and inadequate social support are significant problems for custodial grandparents; experiencing loneliness, feeling different, and having a sense of invisibility are the most salient problems reported by grandparent caregivers. When either emotional (e.g., friendships, empathy) or instrumental (e.g., childcare, community services) support is lacking, custodial grandparents are at risk for depression and lowered self-esteem. Grandparents' isolation appears to be related, at least in part, to the demands of the parenting role. Custodial grand parenting also may contribute to social isolation indirectly, as when custodial grandparents report feeling alone in their situation and suspect that their peers cannot relate to their experience.⁴

 

OBJECTIVES:

·       To assess the level of stress among grandparents regarding rearing of their grandchildren who have employed parents.

·       To find out association between research findings and selected socio demographic variables.

·       To develop information booklet on stress management.

MATERIAL AND METHOD:

A quantitative research approach was adopted for the study with descriptive research design to achieve the objectives of the study. Convenient sampling technique was used to draw sample of 100 grandparents regarding rearing of their grandchildren who have employed parents at selected areas of district Mohali, Punjab.” who fulfilled inclusion criteria. Self- Structured rating scale  used to assess the level of stress among grandparents. Analysis and interpretation of data was done according to the study by using descriptive and inferential statistics.

 

RESULT AND DISCUSSION:

Demographic variable:

According to age (in years), majority of grandparents 46% were in age group of 50 to 55 years, 38% of the grandparents were in the age group of 56-60 years while only 16% of grandparents in the age group of 61-65 years.

 

According to gender, female were 53% and male were 47%.

 

According to education, majority of grandparents 37% had primary education, 34% had no formal education and 25% had secondary education while only 4% had senior secondary education.

 

According to marital status, majority of grandparents 73% were married, 26% were widow/widower and only 1% was separated.

 

According to number of grandchildren, majority of grandparents 59% had 2 Children, 32% had ≥3 children only 9% had 1 Child.

 

According to Place of living, majority of grandparents 61% were living in rural area remaining 39% were living in urban area.

 

According to Monthly Family Income (in rupees), majority i.e 37% grandparents family income was 10001-20,000 also 37% was income above 30,000 and remaining 26% family income was 20,001-30,000.

 

Table 1: Frequency and percentage distribution of stress among grandparents.                                                                         N=100

Impact of internet addiction on psychosocial health		Frequency (f) Percentage (%)
Mild	(0-22)	18
Moderate	(23-44)	82
Severe	(46-66)	00
Mean		29
Median ±SD		31±7.1

 

 

 

Table 1: depicts the level of stress among grandparents. In present study, majority of grandparents 82% had moderate level of stress, 18% had mild level of stress. None of them fall into severe category of stress depicts that there is significant association between level of stress with education, place of living, and monthly family income (in rupees) at p<0.05.

 

There is no significant association between level of stress with age (in years), gender, marital status and no. of grandchildren at p<0.05.

 

CONCLUSION:

On the bases of the findings of the study, it concluded that the grandparents had moderate level of stress. I have provided information booklet on stress management that might be helpful for reducing the level of stress among grandparents.

 

REFERENCES:

1.        Angel R, Tienda M. Determinants of extended household structure: Cultural pattern or economic need. American Journal of Sociology Oct 2009; 9(4):3-15.

2.        Groden, Pat L, Matthew S, Goodwin, Stress and Autism-coping and self - control Technique, www.rch.org.au/ccch/policybriefs.cfm.

3.        Copen CE. Welfare reform: Challenges for grandparents raising grandchildren. Journal of Aging and Social Policy March 2006, 5(6):5-18

4.        Fuller-Thomson E, Minkler M, Driver D. A profile of grandparents raising grandchildren Available from; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Received on 27.12.2018         Modified on 18.01.2019

Accepted on 19.02.2019       ©A&V Publications All right reserved