Grandparent caregiving in later life

Providing Grandchild Care in Later Life: Associations With Frailty, Depression, and Self-Neglect in Geriatric Outpatients

This study will see if caring for grandchildren is linked to less frailty, depression, and self-neglect in people aged 60 and over who visit a geriatric clinic.

Quick facts

• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 138 (estimated)
• Ages: 60 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Mersin University (other)
• Locations: 1 site (Mersin, Turkey)
• Trial ID: NCT07501260 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This is a prospective observational study at Mersin University Geriatric Outpatient Clinic enrolling 136 patients aged 60 and older. Participants who can complete ADL/IADL, FRAIL, and Geriatric Depression Scale questionnaires and have height/weight recorded will be followed between March 15 and June 1, 2026. Researchers will compare anthropometric measurements and questionnaire results to examine associations between providing grandchild care and measures of frailty, depression, and self-care. No interventions are assigned; data are collected from routine comprehensive geriatric assessments.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adults aged 60 or older who attend the Mersin University Geriatric Outpatient Clinic, can complete the ADL/IADL, FRAIL, and GDS questionnaires, have recorded height and weight, and provide consent are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: People under 60, those unable to complete the required questionnaires, those who do not attend the Mersin University clinic, or those for whom caregiving is unsafe or impossible are unlikely to benefit from the findings.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If links are found, encouraging appropriate grandchild caregiving or supporting caregivers could help reduce frailty and depressive symptoms and improve daily functioning in older adults.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown mixed results, with some reporting physical activity and emotional rewards from grandchild caregiving and others finding increased stress, reduced autonomy, and worse self-care.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients who apply to the geriatrics outpatient clinic of Mersin University Faculty of Medicine
* Patients aged 60 and over
* Patients who had information about gender, marital status, medication and disease, who could answer the questions about activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, and who could answer the relevant questionnaire questions within the scope of frailty (FRAIL) depression (Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) screenings; and whose height, weight, and measurements were available
* Patients who consented to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients under sixty years of age
* Patients who did not apply to the geriatrics outpatient clinic of Mersin University Faculty of Medicine
* Patients who did not have information about gender, marital status, medication and disease, who could not answer the questions about activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, and who could not answer the relevant questionnaire questions within the scope of frailty (FRAIL) depression (geriatric depression scale (GDS)) screenings; patients whose height, weight, and measurements were not available
* Patients who did not consent to participate in the study
* Individuals who applied to the geriatrics outpatient clinic outside of the specified dates
* Advanced stage dementia
* Physically incapable of caring for grandchildren

Where this trial is running

Mersin, Turkey

• Mersin University — Mersin, Turkey, Turkey (Türkiye) (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Meris E Bozkurt, M.D. — Mersin University
• Study coordinator: Meris E Bozkurt, M.D.

Conditions: Child Care, grandchild care, depression, frailty, self-neglect