Grandchild contact and loneliness in the oldest old: Differences between in-person and remote contact

Background: Adults in the oldest age group (i.e., 75+) face a higher risk of sustained loneliness, as maintaining diverse social interactions becomes more challenging. Contact with grandchildren could serve as a valuable, protective factor against loneliness. However, previous literature mainly emphasizes grandchild care, which can be burdensome and demanding, potentially underestimating the beneficial effect of general grandchild contact on loneliness.

Study Setup (Methods): We analyzed five waves (2001–16) from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K). Our full sample comprised 1,251 adults aged 78+ (M(age) = 84.0 years, 71% female), of whom 747 were grandparents at wave 1. Participants reported their frequency of loneliness and in-person and remote contact with grandchildren. In the full sample, using latent growth models, we assessed whether loneliness levels and change differed between grandparents and non-grandparents. Within the grandparent subsample, random intercept cross-lagged panel models assessed relationships between grandchild contact frequency and loneliness.

Results: Preliminary results show an average increase in loneliness over time, along with reduced in-person and remote grandchild contact. Grandparent status at wave 1 was not associated with loneliness level or change. Furthermore, increased contact with grandchildren, both in-person and remotely, did not predict subsequent loneliness in grandparents.

Discussion: These findings suggest that grandchild contact is likely not the only or most important source of social interactions for very old adults. Non-grandparents have alternative ways to fulfill their social needs. Follow-up analyses will determine factors explaining for whom more contact with grandchildren might be beneficial.