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Irish Wedding News

15/11/2017

Grandparents Could Impact On Grandkids' Health

Grandparents' behaviour could inadvertently have a negative impact on the health of their grandchildren, a new study has claimed.

The study, entitled 'A systematic review of grandparents' influence on grandchildren's cancer risk factors', has been published in PLOS ONE and was funded by Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council (MRC), and The Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office.

Until now, research has tended to focus on the potential role parents have in contributing towards risk factors for diseases such as cancer, but there has been limited investigation of the role of other part-time caregivers, such as grandparents. The aim of the review was to identify any potential influence grandparents' habits may have on their grandchildren's long-term cancer risk factors.

The review looked at 56 studies with data from 18 different countries concerning the care provided by grandparents who are not the primary carer of their grandchildren.

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Fairy Tales The Wedding & Events Specialists

Researchers from the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow, published the results of the review – which looked at 56 studies with data from 18 countries, concerning the care provided by grandparents who are not the primary carer of their grandchildren – today in the journal PLOS ONE.

It was discovered that grandparents were inadvertently having an adverse impact on their grandchildren's health, particularly in the areas of weight and diet by means of 'treating', overfeeding, and lack of physical activity.

There were also negative impacts as a result of tobacco smoke by not complying with parents' wishes regarding second-hand smoke and role-modelling negative behaviour.

It is important to note that the studies did not take into account the positive emotional benefit of children spending time with their grandparents.

Dr Stephanie Chambers, Lead Author, MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, said: "While the results of this review are clear that behaviour such as exposure to smoking and regularly treating children increases cancer risks as children grow into adulthood, it is also clear from the evidence that these risks are unintentional.

"Currently grandparents are not the focus of public health messaging targeted at parents and in light of the evidence from this study, perhaps this is something that needs to change given the prominent role grandparents play in the lives of children."

She continued: "From the studies we looked at, it appears that parents often find it difficult to discuss the issues of passive smoking and over-treating grandchildren.

"Given that many parents now rely on grandparents for care, the mixed messages about health that children might be getting is perhaps an important discussion that needs to be had."

(JP/MH)

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"Grandparents' behaviour could inadvertently have a negative impact on the health of their grandchildren, a new study has claimed."