The Mortality Risk of Custodial Grandparenting among Asian Americans

• In Event: Aging and the Life Course Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): 7: Intergenerational and Grandparent Roles

Abstract

Between 2000 and 2021, Asian American coresident grandparents in the United States increased by more than 70%, with more than one-in-ten responsible for their grandchildren’s basic needs, known as custodial grandparents. Yet, previous studies examining health and well-being of coresident and custodial grandparents have primarily examined other racial groups, overlooking the fast-growing population of Asian American grandparents. This study aims to bridge these gaps by constructing a new national dataset of Asian American noncustodial coresident and custodial grandparents for the six largest Asian American groups: Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese. Using confidential data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Social Security Administration, this study will link middle-aged and older individuals from the 2000 census long-form sample to their 2000–2019 death records to unpack longitudinal association between coresident grandparenting status and all-cause mortality while addressing varying national and ethnic origins, socioeconomic disparities, and differing immigration histories.

Authors

• Hongwei Xu, CUNY-Queens College

• Elaine Wu, Department of Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences, Graduate Center – CUNY