Paper
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Qualitative Study on Grandparent Caregiving Role in Filipino American Families
Merle Kataoka-Yahiro, PhD, School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
The Filipino American elderly (FA) is a population that is considered at risk for poor health outcomes. FAs have higher risk factors for diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease at midlife and old age, however there is a limited number of nursing research studies. FA caregivers, are therefore, a vulnerable population that may be at health risk. FAs to the U.S. have the highest percent of Asian American (AA) grandparents who are responsible for their grandchildren (U.S. Census Bureau, 2002). FA grandparents play an integral role as a caregiver to their grandchildren but also may be at risk for their own health outcomes based upon the demands of caregiving. The purpose of this paper is to describe a preliminary study which examined the role of Filipino American grandparents as caregivers for their grandchildren and relate the findings of these grandparent caregivers from a cultural context. FA grandparents were recruited into the study from a church in Honolulu, HI. This study utilized three methods of data collection (a) a demographic information sheet, (b) a focus group, and (c) field notes. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyze narrative data and identify themes and patterns in the data. A major theme that emerged in this study was the view of the informants that the grandparent caregiving role was a “natural role expectation.” Three sub-themes that arose were based on Filipino cultural beliefs and norms such as (a) Pakikisama – family unit and closeness, (b) Utang na loob – mutual reciprocity, and (c) authoritarianism. Health issues that emerged during the time of caring for their grandchildren were back problems, sleep deprivation, and stress. This study supported a need for understanding cultural themes that impact and are relevant to the grandparent caregiving role.