Variations in grandfathering: characteristics of involved, passive, and disengaged grandfathers

Abstract

Grandfather involvement is comprised of three constructs, namely, contact frequency, intergenerational commitment, and participation in activities, and refers to grandfathers’ efforts to develop and maintain relationships with grandchildren. From these, recent research has identified three distinct grandfathering typologies or styles, including, involved, passive, and disengaged. In this study, we use multinomial logistic regression to explore which and the degree that background features, characteristics of the family and the grandfather–grandchild relationship, and the health and wellness of the grandfather are factors in determining the grandfathering style of a sample of 351 grandfathers. Results indicate that household income, grandfather agreeableness, geographic distance from the grandchild, age of the grandchild, and the quality of and satisfaction with the relationship with the grandchild are contributing factors to being categorised as an involved and active grandfather.