Barriers and facilitators to grandparenting: a systematic review

Grandparenting is a form of social participation that can be beneficial to healthy ageing. However, the barriers and facilitating factors to grandparenting are under-investigated. This systematic review aimed to collate identified barriers and facilitating factors to grandparenting in older adults by conducting systematic searches of PsycINFO, Medline and CINAHL. Forty-nine studies that assessed at least one grandparental involvement variable in adults aged 60 years with at least one grandchild were included. Our findings highlighted the interrelated relationship between four main themes of barriers and facilitating factors to grandparenting: Demographic factors, Individual factors, Social factors and Intergenerational factors. Positive intergenerational relationships facilitated grandparental involvement while conflicts around technology and demographic disparities acted as barriers. The identified barriers and facilitators suggested a potential need for interventions to strengthen intergenerational relationships and improve grandparents’ access to social services, as well as for theoretical frameworks that integrate structural constraints with relational and developmental processes.