Peer-reviewed article
Diverse Needs of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Qualitative Research in Malawi, South Korea, and the United States
Lee Y ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study examined the experiences and needs of 75 grandparents who are the primary caregivers for their grandchildren across three countries. Malawian grandparents faced financial and physical hardships but had community support. Korean grandparents experienced similar hardships plus cultural stigma around divorce and non-maternal grandparent families. U.S. grandparents reported greater social isolation and family trauma affecting multiple generations. The research highlights the need for culturally appropriate support systems for grandparent-headed households worldwide.
Key points
- Malawian grandparents experienced financial and physical hardships but benefited from strong community support
- Korean grandparents faced similar economic and physical challenges as Malawian grandparents, plus cultural biases toward grandparent-headed families
- U.S. grandparents reported increased needs for social support and experienced intergenerational family trauma
- Custodial grandparent populations are increasing across the world
- Current practice models do not adequately address the culturally diverse needs of grandparent-headed families
Limitations
As qualitative research, findings represent the experiences of these specific participants and cannot be generalized to all grandparent caregivers. The study does not measure outcomes for the grandchildren themselves or quantify the scale of needs across these populations.
Abstract
Abstract Despite custodial grandparents’ significant contributions to their grandchildren’s healthy development, unique needs of older adults often remain unmet with a limited cultural understanding of intergenerational caregiving. Using a phenomenological approach, interviews and focus groups were conducted with 75 custodial grandparents in Malawi (n=29), South Korea (n=23), and the U.S. (n=23). Malawian grandparents presented financial and physical hardships; however, they experienced strong support from community. Korean grandparents reported similar needs as Malawian grandparents while additionally experiencing cultural biases toward grandparent-headed families (maternal grandparenting and adult child’s divorce). The U.S. grandparents disclosed increased needs for social support as well as family trauma with intergenerational impacts. The increase in custodial grandparent population across the world and findings from this comparative transnational research highlight the need for development of a model for culturally responsive practice with grandparent-headed families in a global context. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Grandparents as Caregivers Interest Group.