1Graduate School of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
2College of Nursing · The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Corresponding author: Joung, Woo Joung. Graduate School of Nursing, Seoul National University, 28 Yeongon-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul 110-744, Korea. Tel: +82-2-740-8460, Fax: +82-2-740-8837, Kimsoft1@snu.ac.kr
• Received: March 7, 2014 • Revised: May 18, 2014 • Accepted: May 23, 2014
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among perceived health, parental stress, social support, and quality of life of grandparent caregivers and to identify the factors influencing quality of their life.
Methods
A descriptive correlational design was used. The data were collected by questionnaires from a convenience sample of 130 participants taking care of their grandchildren from ten children's daycare centers in Seoul, Korea from August to September, 2013. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation efficients, and multiple regressions.
Results
Perceived health, parental stress and social support were correlated significantly with quality of life. As a result of the multiple regression analysis, education level, age of grandchildren, perceived health, parental stress and social support accounted for 48% of the variance in quality of life. Perceived health, parental stress, and social support were identified as factors influencing quality of life and the variable that most affected quality of life was perceived health.
Conclusion
The results of the study indicate that health of people taking care of their grandchildren must be promoted while relieving their parental stress with appropriate social support in order to improve quality of life.
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Table 1
Quality of Life by General Characteristics of the Participants (N=130)
†Scheffé test.
Table 2
Perceived Health, Parenting Stress, Social Support, and Quality of Life (N=130)
Table 3
Correlation among Quality of Life, Perceived Health, Parental Stress, and Social Support (N=130)
QoL=quality of life; PH=perceived health; PS=parental stress; SS=social support.
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