Grandparent parents. Intergenerational surrogate parenting

Interventions to Improve Grandparent Caregivers’ Mental and Physical Health: An Integrative Review

The aim of this integrative review is to appraise grandparent caregiver interventions that are designed to improve their physical and mental health. A database search was performed to identify relevant studies published between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 2014. Thirteen publications, including 11 studies, met all inclusion and exclusion criteria. All studies included grandparent mental health outcomes with fewer focusing on physical health and social relations. Improvements were found in all three areas with fewer improvements seen in physical health. However, small effect sizes were seen with most measures of these outcomes. Although the interventions led to positive grandparent caregiver outcomes, the studies were limited by their design, only one of which was a randomized controlled trial. Also, interventions did not consider variations in the grandchild’s or parent’s ages or if the grandparent provided primary or shared care. These gaps should be addressed in future research.

Project SMART: an interdisciplinary collaboration to design and test a mentored health promotion program for school children

Interdisciplinary collaborations and effective community partnerships can be important in advancing public health initiatives in economically disadvantaged communities. This community-based participatory research pilot study determined the feasibility of designing and implementing Project SMART, a mentored after-school health promotion program for school children in an underserved neighborhood. Interdisciplinary faculty and their students collaborated with community stakeholders to provide a program tailored to address community identified health risks. Preassessment and postassessment of study participants revealed a significant increase in nutrition knowledge among the children and a significant increase in the general health subscale of Short-Form Health Survey for the mentors. Content analysis of interviews conducted with the mentors revealed four themes on the meaning of the experience for them: being present; having purpose; raising personal health consciousness; and transferring life experiences. University faculty and students strengthened their relationships in the community and their ability to conduct community-based participatory research. The program was a catalyst for other important ongoing changes in the community. The Project SMART program is an initiative that may be applied successfully in other communities where it is important to address environmental health disparities and promote health.