Be the mother, not the daughter: Immigrant Chinese women, postpartum care knowledge, and mothering autonomy.

Scholars have documented the transformation of modern motherhood, as mothering practices have been a target of medical knowledge that comes to define correct modes of conduct for women caring for their pregnant bodies, undergoing childbirth and childrearing. Such accounts usually set scientific knowledge and medical authority in opposition to women's autonomy. Drawing on the interviews with immigrant Chinese mothers in Canada, we offer a different account of knowledge and agency in new motherhood. These women's often-intense experiences of intergenerational care-giving associated with the practice of zuo yuezi reveal a more fluid relationship between medical authority and mothering agency. We find that the central tension during the postpartum experience lies in intergenerational and family relationships. In this context, new mothers draw on alternative sources of knowledge-and medical professionals are one such key source-to demonstrate within the family their competence to make care decisions for themselves and their babies. These women's use of medical knowledge to counter a familial and intergenerational authority complicates dominant accounts about medicalisation, demonstrating that women's relationship to medical knowledge and authority maybe be far more fluid and complex than a standard account of medicalisation and loss of women's agency would predict.

[Modern determinants of intergenerational relationships.]

The article deals with intergenerational relationships and mutual assessments, gives an idea of the values of young people and the elderly, obtained on the basis of interviews. The authors come to the conclusion about the natural variability of intergenerational relationships, which due to adaptive capabilities, do not lead to real conflict between the studied age groups.

Qualitative inquiry of a community dance program for older adults in Singapore.

Dance programs promote physical and psychosocial well-being. However, studies focusing on the experiences of older adults in dancing are limited. This study aims to develop a community dance program (CDP) for older adults at senior activity centers in Singapore, as well as to explore the older adults' and student instructors' experiences of the CDP. A qualitative inquiry of semi-structured and in-depth focus group discussions was conducted. In total, 20 older adults and 10 student dance instructors participated in the study. Student instructors who were undergraduate students from a dance society were trained in how to provide step-by-step instructions for the older adults. An inductive approach of thematic analysis was undertaken. Three main themes were identified: (i) promotion of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial health with dance; (ii) imagination is power-travel through dance; and (iii) further enhancement of the dance program. The themes highlighted the prominence of CDP in improving memory, physical health, mood, and social interactions-thus mitigating the risk of social isolation. The findings illustrated the benefits of CDP in cultivating intergenerational bonds amongst older adults and student instructors.

Which interventions with youths counter ageism toward older adults? Results from a realist review.

Age-related social biases - ageism - are developed at an early age. Interventions to counter ageism have been identified but little is known about their mechanisms, particularly in children. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of which interventions in youths are most effective, under which circumstances, how, and with what outcomes. Using 46 keywords in 6 databases, a realist review identified 24 studies published between 2000 and 2022 targeting youths under 18. A content analysis of these studies led to the construction of a Context-Mechanisms-Outcomes explanatory model. Contextual facilitators triggering mechanisms for changing stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination were: 1) enhancing knowledge about aging and older adults by providing nuanced information, 2) improving the quality of intergenerational contacts, 3) increasing opportunities to apply previously acquired knowledge in intergenerational interactions, and 4) promoting reflective thinking about experiences with older adults. However, stereotypes and prejudices appeared to be resistant and changes difficult to generalize. Insufficiently advanced cognitive development in children or viewing healthy and socially engaged older adults as unrepresentative of their age group were obstacles that reduced intervention effectiveness. Future studies should explore how advancing age influences interventions as well as the characteristics of older adults involved.

A Case of Intergenerational Conflict: The 2015 Finnish Citizens' Initiative on Pension Indexation.

Pension reforms become more common in times of population aging. In 2015, a Finnish citizens' initiative recommended increasing pension benefits. Opponents argued this may be at the cost of youths and middle-agers. We investigate the initiative from the viewpoint of intergenerational conflict. A mixed methods analysis reveals no conflict during the signature collection. It only became visible during the newspaper debate, when experts explained the reform effects. The parliament rejected the reform. Findings reveal a unique conflict dynamic in citizens' initiatives: a reflected judgment gradually emerges during the public debate. Policymakers may use this insight to advance pension-related direct democracy.

Intergenerational transmission of birth weight: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The objectives of this study were (1) to systematically review the literature on the association between birth weight in children born in the first and second generation and (2) to quantify this association by performing a meta-analysis. A systematic review was carried out in six databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL and LILACS), in January 2021, for studies that recorded the birth weight of parents and children. A meta-analysis using random effects to obtain a pooled effect of the difference in birth weight and the association of low birth weight (LBW) between generations was performed. Furthermore, univariable meta-regression was conducted to assess heterogeneity. Egger's tests were used to possible publication biases. Of the 9878 identified studies, seventy were read in full and twenty were included in the meta-analysis (ten prospective cohorts and ten retrospective cohorts), fourteen studies for difference in means and eleven studies for the association of LBW between generations (twenty-three estimates). Across all studies, there was no statistically significant mean difference (MD) birth weight between first and second generation (MD 19·26, 95 % CI 28·85, 67·36; P = 0·43). Overall, children of LBW parents were 69 % more likely to have LBW (pooled effect size 1·69, 95 % CI (1·46, 1·95); I2:85·8 %). No source of heterogeneity was identified among the studies and no publication bias. The average birth weight of parents does not influence the average birth weight of children; however, the proportion of LBW among the parents seems to affect the offspring's birth weight.

Association between intergenerational solidarity involving elders and mental health of Indigenous people living off reserve.

BACKGROUND: Indigenous elders play an important role in transmitting knowledge, values and practices, hence fostering identity-building through intergenerational solidarity. We aimed to verify the association between intergenerational solidarity involving Indigenous elders and mental health of Indigenous people living off reserve. METHODS: We carried secondary analyses of data for a subsample from the cross-sectional 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (total sample: n = 28,410 Indigenous persons aged ≥6 years old living off reserve; subsample: n = 13,020 aged 18-44 years old). Controlling for age as well as material and social deprivation, we used logistic regressions to verify the association between intergenerational solidarity (proxied as time spent with an elder and potential of turning to an elder or grandparent for support in times of need) and mental health (perceived mental health, mood disorders, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and attempts). RESULTS: About 39 and 9% of the respondents respectively reported having spent time with an elder and would have turned to an elder or grandparent for support in times of need. Women who would not turn to an elder or grandparent for support in times of need were more likely to report fair or poor perceived mental health (OR = 1.69, p = 0.03). Men not spending time with an elder were more likely to experience mood disorders (OR = 1.66, p = 0.004). Women who would not turn to an elder or grandparent for support in times of need were more likely to experience anxiety disorders (OR = 1.57, p = 0.04). Women not spending time with an elder or who would not turn to an elder or grandparent for support in times of need were respectively more likely to have suicidal thoughts (OR = 1.62, p = 0.04) or to have attempted suicide (OR = 3.38, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Intergenerational solidarity is associated with better mental health outcomes of Indigenous people living off reserve. These results could guide policies and practices that aim to enhance mental health and wellness in Indigenous populations.

Family type and cognitive function in older Chinese Americans: acculturation as a moderator.

OBJECTIVES: Acculturation to the mainstream culture and the settlement contexts could shape cognitive function of older immigrants. Guided by ecological theory, this study examines the interaction effect between individual acculturation and ecology of family on cognitive function among older Chinese Americans. METHODS: Data were derived from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (n = 3,019). Family types included tight-knit (high solidarity and low conflicts), unobligated-ambivalent (high solidarity and conflicts), commanding-conflicted (low solidarity and high conflicts), and detached (low solidarity and low conflicts). Acculturation was measured via language ability, media use, and ethnic social relations. Cognitive function was evaluated by global cognition, episodic memory, working memory, processing speed, and mini-mental state examination. Multiple regression analyses and interaction terms were used. RESULTS: Older adults in the commanding-conflicted type had the lowest cognitive function. After controlling confounding variables, higher levels of acculturation (b = 0.009, SE = 0.003, p < .01) were associated with higher levels of global cognition. Acculturation buffered the negative impact of having a commanding-conflicted relationship with children on global cognition (b = 0.070, SE = 0.016, p < .001). Language ability, media use, and ethnic social relations played a unique role in the relationships between family types and cognitive domains. CONCLUSION: Acculturation to the dominant culture is identified as a cultural asset for cognitive function in older Chinese Americans. Social services could protect cognitive function of older immigrants in the commanding-conflicted type through enhancing cultural participation. Future research could test how affective and cognitive aspects of acculturation affect health.

Sources of Intergenerational Conflict in Chinese Immigrant Families in the United States.

Studies of family relations have not kept pace with the acceleration of international migration. To address this gap, this study relied on a survey of 545 Chinese immigrants in Chicago who reported information of 869 older parents to examine the sources of intergenerational conflict in five domains: norms/values, relationship itself, money, health, and parenting. The results of logistic regression showed that maintaining one's traditional culture, in the form of endorsing a sense of filial obligation, was a significant protective factor against all types of conflict. Immigrants with a higher level of acculturation were more likely to report conflict regarding norms/values and relationship itself, but not more so regarding practical issues such as health, money, and parenting. Helping parents with ADLs, not IADLs, was associated with more conflict regarding monetary and health issues. Immigrants' greater sense of mastery was associated with a lower chance of reporting norm/value-related intergenerational conflict.

"My problems aren't their fault": Mexican American women managing diabetes while caring for grandchildren.

Diabetes affects many aspects of family life for the Mexican American (MA) population. Caregiving grandmothers, the traditional family nurturers, are often simultaneously managing their type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe the perceptions of MA grandmothers managing T2DM while caring for a grandchild. Eight participants were interviewed. Participants consistently reported feeling a personal responsibility for their T2DM self-management as well as for the health and wellbeing of their families, including their grandchildren. Regardless of associated caregiving stress, grandchildren were described as the main source of positive motivation for T2DM self-management.

Comparing Community-based Intergenerational Activities in Israel: Participants, Programs, and Perceived Outcomes.

This study investigated whether the content of different community-based intergenerational programs (IGPs) affects their perceived impact on older and younger participants. Data were collected through direct structured questionnaires administered to 84 older, and 96 younger participants, and were assessed using both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Different IGP types involved participants with differing background characteristics and were associated with different benefits and challenges. In art programs, older participants reported being more active and younger participants indicated more awareness of others, but also greater stress. Learning programs contributed to older persons' happiness, and younger persons' acquisition of new skills, but were also associated with divergent expectations between young and old, and a perception that young participants lacked commitment. Assistance programs attracted older participants with greater needs, and were associated with such benefits as alleviating older persons' loneliness, improving younger participants' satisfaction from helping, but also involved challenges pertaining to the relationship termination. Generally, older participants reported more benefits than younger persons. The results highlight the need to differentiate between IGP types, a distinction not addressed in previous studies. The combination of activity content and participant characteristics and needs may lead to different perceived program impacts.

Is Parental Divorce Homogamy Associated With a Higher Risk of Separation From Cohabitation and Marriage?

Numerous studies have shown that parental divorce is associated with an increase in adult children's divorce risk. We extend this literature by assessing how parental divorce on both sides of a couple is related to their partnership dynamics, specifically, whether there is parental divorce homogamy and whether a history of parental divorce for both partners is associated with increased dissolution risks for cohabiting and married unions. We use Finnish Census Panel data on 28,021 cohabiting and marital partnerships to conduct event-history models that follow individuals between ages 18 and 45. Findings show substantial parental divorce homogamy. Children with experience of parental divorce have 13% greater odds of cohabiting with and 17% greater odds of marrying a fellow child of divorcees, compared with those whose parents have not divorced. Moreover, contrary to evidence from the United States and Norway, our findings for Finland support an additive-rather than multiplicative-association between parental divorce homogamy and union dissolution. Parental divorce homogamy increases offspring's union dissolution risk by 20% for cohabitation and 70% for marriage, compared with couples for whom neither partner's parents are divorced. In Finland, the sizes of these associations are notably weaker than in the United States and Norway, likely because cohabitation and separation are more widespread and socially accepted in Finland, and an expansive welfare state buffers the socioeconomic consequences of divorce.

The Impact of Grandparental Death on the Fertility of Adult Children.

The increasingly central role of vertical family kinship in Western societies underscores the potential value of intergenerational linkages that tie grandparents to the fertility of their adult children. Recent research has examined the changing demography of grandparenthood and the roles fulfilled by living grandparents, but the complex implications of grandparental death-a key feature of intergenerational linkages over the life course-have drawn less attention. In this article, we explore whether and how childbearing of adult women is affected by the death of grandparents-their own parent(s) or their spouse's parent(s). We develop a novel conceptual framework that presents the pathways of influence and considers the overall impact of grandparental death on childbearing of adult children. We then estimate fixed-effects models to identify causal relationships between grandparental death and childbearing, using linked micro-level census and population register data from Israel for the period 1986-2014. We find that grandparental death leads to a reduction of approximately 5 percentage points in the five-year probability of childbirth. The effects of grandparental death are negative across all parities examined and are broadly similar across grandparent's gender and kinship relation. Additional effects are identified, including how the impact of grandparental death varies with time since the previous birth as well as residential proximity prior to death. We explain how our findings regarding the effect of grandparental death offer insight into the role of living grandparents. Our results suggest that policy-makers concerned with low fertility should explore mechanisms that reinforce potential sources of support from grandparents.

Influence of parental physical activity on offspring's nutritional status: an intergenerational study in the 1993 Pelotas birth cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of parental physical activity on offspring's nutritional status in the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort. DESIGN: Birth cohort study. SETTING: The main outcomes were overweight and obesity status of children. The main exposure was parental physical activity over time, measured during the 11, 15 and 18 years of age follow-ups. The exposure was operationalised as cumulative, and the most recent measure before the birth of child. We adjusted Poisson regression models with robust variance to evaluate crude and adjusted associations between parental physical activity and offspring's nutritional status. All analyses were stratified according to the sex of the parent. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 874 members from the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort followed-up at 22 years of age with their first-born child were analysed. RESULTS: Children were, on average, 3·1 years old. Crude analyses showed that the mother's cumulative physical activity measure had an indirect association with the prevalence of children's obesity. The most recent maternal physical activity measure before the birth of the child was associated with 41 % lower prevalence of obesity in children, even after adjustment for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: The most recent maternal physical activity measure was indirectly associated with the prevalence of obesity in children. No associations were found for fathers, reinforcing the hypothesis of a biological effect of maternal physical activity on offspring's nutritional status.

Psychopathology in the Offspring of Indigenous Parents with Mental Health Challenges: A Systematic Review: Psychopathologie des descendants de parents autochtones ayant des problèmes de santé mentale: Une revue systématique.

OBJECTIVE: Parental psychopathology is a significant risk factor for mental health challenges in offspring, but the nature and magnitude of this link in Indigenous Peoples is not well understood. This systematic review examined the emotional and behavioral functioning of the offspring of Indigenous parents with mental health challenges. METHOD: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science from their inceptions until April 2020. Studies were included if they included assessments of emotional, behavioral, or other psychological outcomes in the offspring of Indigenous parents with a mental health challenge. RESULTS: The 14 studies eligible for review were focused on parental substance misuse (n = 8), maternal internalizing (i.e., depression, anxiety) issues (n = 5), and poor overall parental mental health (n = 4). In 11 studies, parental substance misuse, depression, and/or overall mental health challenges were associated with 2 to 4 times the odds of offspring externalizing and internalizing behaviors as compared to offspring of Indigenous parents without mental health challenges. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest higher risks of mental health challenges among offspring of Indigenous parents with psychiatric difficulties than among Indigenous children of parents without similar difficulties. Knowledge of these phenomena would be improved by the use of larger, more representative samples, culturally appropriate measures, and the engagement of Indigenous communities. Future studies should be focused on both risk and resilience mechanisms so that cycles of transmission can be interrupted and resources aimed at detection, prevention, and treatment optimally allocated.

Grandparents caring for grandchildren in rural China: consequences for emotional and cognitive health in later life.

In rural China, where families serve as critical safety-nets for their vulnerable members, grandparents play an essential role caring for the offspring of their migrant children. Evidence is mixed as to whether caring for grandchildren provides health benefits or incurs health risks. In this article, we used six waves of data from a study in rural China to examine the impact of caregiving for grandchildren on grandparents' emotional and cognitive health. Further, we examined financial transfers from adult children as a resource that potentially moderates the impact of high intensity caregiving on these outcomes. Data derived from six waves (2001-2015) of the Longitudinal Study of Older Adults in Anhui Province, China. We constructed 2,835 person-interval observations derived from 1,067 grandparents to examine lagged change in depressive symptoms and cognitive ability. Results show that caregiving frequency is not by itself harmful or beneficial to the emotional and cognitive health of grandparents, but it does appear to be harmful in the context of custodial care that is less economically supported by adult children. These results are discussed in terms of their relevance to intergenerational reciprocity in a filial culture, time-for-money exchange expectations, and the need for financial resources among caregiving grandparents in rural China.

Ageism in the time of COVID-19.

In this article, we outline how the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has the potential to fundamentally change how we think and feel about our own age, and how we think and feel about other age groups. Specifically, we outline how discourse surrounding the pandemic has strengthened the homogeneous view of older adults as vulnerable, has socially stigmatized being an older adult, and has exacerbated hostile and benevolent expressions of ageism. We explore the impact of these changing dynamics on intergenerational cohesion and relations, and propose that understanding theories of ageism will be essential for how we handle future pandemics in order to reduce the potential negative impact of crises on individuals as well as on communities and societies.

Intergenerational familial care: Shaping future care policies for older adults.

An increasingly ageing society together with concerns about sustainability of old-age benefits call for reforming the care structure of many western welfare states. However, finding an acceptable balance between the formal care provided by institutions and informal care provided by family members is a delicate policy choice with profound ethical implications. In this respect, literature on intergenerational familial relationships can offer insights to inform policymaking in this field and help resolve the ethical concerns that excessive reliance on informal caregiving might entail. In this contribution, we start by presenting - with Switzerland as a case study - the challenges of the current care structure and illustrate some of the ethical issues that reshaping the balance between formal and informal care raises. We then review and analyse available theoretical literature on intergenerational familial relationships and present three dimensions that underpin such relationships: ethical, theoretical and practical. Based on our analysis, we provide two recommendations to inform policymaking on how to support care needs of the elderly and set an ethically acceptable balance between formal and informal care when familial generations are involved.

Job satisfaction and generational nursing characteristics among registered nurses in the United States, Italy and Finland: Results of a survey study.

AIMS: The aim of this study is to describe job satisfaction and multigenerational nursing characteristics between nurses in the United States, Italy and Finland. BACKGROUND: Job satisfaction and work characteristics may be viewed differently among nurses of different generations and countries. METHODS: Data were collected on the Kuopio University Hospital Job Satisfaction Scale and Multidimensional Nursing Generations Questionnaire. A total of 1,433 usable surveys were returned and analysed using multivariate analysis of variance. RESULTS: Nurses in the United States were most satisfied in all subareas of job satisfaction. Across all generations and countries, Leadership scores were most consistent. Results did not show any generational similarities on job satisfaction or generational work characteristics that held constant across all countries. Scores on dimensions indicating intergenerational conflict were highest in the United States and lowest in Finland. Measures indicating good intergenerational relationships and teamwork were highest in Finland and lowest in the United States. CONCLUSIONS: Country impacted job satisfaction and multigenerational characteristics more than generational cohort. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers and leaders leading multigenerational teams occupy a pivotal role in multigenerational teamwork and attitudes toward change.

Counting on Potential Grandparents? Adult Children's Entry Into Parenthood Across European Countries.

As populations age and longevity rises, the structure of the extended family is changing. Parents of young children are increasingly turning to the children's grandparents to provide childcare and help them reconcile work and family. This study is the first to investigate whether would-be grandparents' propensity to care for their grandchildren influences the adult children's transition to parenthood. Because grandparental childcare provision is not observable at the time of the transition to the first birth, I built a measure based on the characteristics of both actual grandparents and adult children to act as a proxy for the childcare that prospective grandparents are expected to provide in the future. Using data from the first two waves of the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe, I examine changes in the likelihood of having a first birth by different levels of expected future childcare provision. Given that the role grandparents play varies depending on the national context, I estimate distinct models for different groups of countries. Furthermore, I analyze different intensities of grandparental childcare: regular, occasional, and any other type of positive childcare. The comparison across 11 countries reveals that grandparental propensity to provide occasional childcare has a positive effect on the transition to parenthood in all country clusters and that grandparental propensity to provide regular childcare has a positive and significant association with having a first child in both pro-natalist (Belgium and France) and pro-traditional countries (Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland).