Providing Grandchild Care in Later Life

Grandchild care is a modern global phenomenon arising from increased life expectancy , and, correlated with the rest of the world, the Turkish Statistical Institute's report on aging states that the prevalence of grandchild caregiving in Türkiye is 9.7% . Therefore, the health impacts of grandchild caregiving on older adults are attracting increasing attention. Various studies have shown that grandchild caregiving has both potential benefits and burdens for older individuals. While caregiving can provide physical activity, purpose, and emotional rewards, it can also create stress, reduce autonomy, and limit social participation and self-care, which is a significant determinant of healthy aging. Frailty, a multidimensional geriatric syndrome, is associated with disability, hospitalization, and death and is potentially reversible if diagnosed early. Furthermore, depression is another significant geriatric syndrome in the elderly and is associated with mortality; although various studies have shown that grandchild caregiving reduces depressive symptoms, some have found no association between grandchild caregiving and depression. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between grandchild care and frailty, depression, and self-neglect in patients presenting to geriatrics outpatients

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Key information

Conditions

Child Care Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Depression Frailty Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Age range

60 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Mersin University

Mersin, Turkey, 33343, Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Individuals aged 60 and over who apply to the Mersin University Geriatric Outpatient between March 15, 2026 and June 1, 2026, and who have received a comprehensive geriatric assessment including information on gender, marital status, medication, and illnesses; A prospective observational study is planned with 68 female and 68 male patients who can answer the daily living activities and instrumental daily living activities questionnaires, and who can answer the relevant questionnaire questions within the scope of frailty (FRAIL) and depression (geriatric depression scale (GDS)) screenings; have height and weight measurements; and consent to participate in the study. Given that the prevalence of giving birth to grandchildren in Türkiye is 9.7%, and applying the 'sample size for a single proportion' formula (n = Z²[p(1-p)]/d²) with a 95% confidence level (Z=1.96) and a 5% absolute margin of error, it was found that a minimum of 136 participants is required. The anthropometric measurements and questionnaire results of the patients will be examined prospectively through observation.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Patients who apply to the geriatrics outpatient clinic of Mersin University Faculty of Medicine
Patients aged 60 and over
Patients who had information about gender, marital status, medication and disease, who could answer the questions about activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, and who could answer the relevant questionnaire questions within the scope of frailty (FRAIL) depression (Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) screenings; and whose height, weight, and measurements were available
Patients who consented to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

Patients under sixty years of age
Patients who did not apply to the geriatrics outpatient clinic of Mersin University Faculty of Medicine
Patients who did not have information about gender, marital status, medication and disease, who could not answer the questions about activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, and who could not answer the relevant questionnaire questions within the scope of frailty (FRAIL) depression (geriatric depression scale (GDS)) screenings; patients whose height, weight, and measurements were not available
Patients who did not consent to participate in the study
Individuals who applied to the geriatrics outpatient clinic outside of the specified dates
Advanced stage dementia
Physically incapable of caring for grandchildren

Treatment and study plan

Providing grandchild care in old age reduces frailty, depression, and self-care neglect in geriatric outpatients.in Geriatric Outpatients"

Other

Providing Grandchild Care in Later Life: Associations with Frailty, Depression, and Self-Neglect in Geriatric Outpatients"

Other names: Failure to provide grandchild care in old age increases frailty, depression, and self-care neglect in geriatric outpatients.

Primary outcomes

Providing Grandchild Care in Later Life: Correlations with Frailty, Depression, and Self-Neglect in Geriatric Outpatients"

Time frame: 3 months

Frailty will be assessed by a score of 3 or higher on the 5-item FRAIL questionnaire. Depression will be assessed by a score of 5 or higher on the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. Self-care neglect will be assessed by a score of 7 or lower on the 11-item Istanbul University Self-Care Neglect Scale for the Elderly.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Mersin University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Providing Grandchild Care in Later Life: Associations With Frailty, Depression, and Self-Neglect in Geriatric Outpatients

Important dates

Study start: 2026
Primary completion: 2026
Study completion: 2026
First posted: Mar 30, 2026
Registry last updated: Jun 9, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed