{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T05:19:07Z","timestamp":1787548747457,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787529600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>As modern households diversify, many family caregivers face multi-generational demands, such as simultaneously caring for grandchildren and aging parents. Despite being the backbone of the care system, caregivers navigate highly varied needs and family dynamics. It is thus crucial to understand who family caregivers are and how they fare in terms of health and wellbeing. This descriptive study provides a profile of U.S. intergenerational caregivers over age 50.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Using data from 2022 RAND Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and HRS core files, we focus on four primary caregiver types\u2014parent caregivers, spousal caregivers, parents of minor children, and grandchild caregivers. We first estimate the percentage of 15 total caregiver configurations, including those caring for single or multiple categories of family members. We then describe and compare the sociodemographic characteristics across the four primary caregiver types, looking specifically at those caring for parents only, spouses only, children only, or grandchildren only. We also compare self-reported health indicators of these same four groups caring for one generation only after adjusting for age differences.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Approximately 85% of caregivers provided care solely to one generation of care recipients (i.e., parents, spouses, children, or grandchildren), while the remaining 15% provided simultaneous care for multiple generations of recipients. Sociodemographic and health indicators varied by specific caregiver types. Spousal caregivers had worse self-reported health and higher depression scores compared to other caregiver types, even adjusting for age differences.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>While family caregiving is common among adults over 50, their demographics and experiences vary significantly. This study underscores a critical need to move beyond a \u201cone-size-fits all\u201d support model. Notably, spousal caregivers remain uniquely vulnerable, requiring targeted clinical interventions. Additionally, the prevalence of multi-generational caregiving requires policy expansions\u2014such as inclusive leave policies\u2014to address overlapping role strains.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1886926","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T04:24:19Z","timestamp":1787545459000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A national snapshot of family caregivers in the United States: characterizing demographics and health among caregivers over age 50"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Hua","family":"Zan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Center on the Family, University of Hawaii at Manoa","place":["Honolulu, HI, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Loriena A.","family":"Yancura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa","place":["Honolulu, HI, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Melissa A.","family":"Barnett","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Human Development and Family Science, The University of Arizona","place":["Tucson, AZ, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"292","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2025.9658","article-title":"As the US ages, a growing movement aims to care for caregivers","volume":"334","author":"Hunt","year":"2025","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref2","volume-title":"Living longer: Historical and Projected Life Expectancy in the United States, 1960 to 2060 (Current Population Reports Nos. P25-1145)","author":"Medina","year":"2020"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"324","DOI":"10.1177\/0192513X20921520","article-title":"Being a working grandmother, mother, and daughter at the same time: a \u201cdouble sandwich\u201d in a four-generation family","volume":"42","author":"Manor","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Fam Issues"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"346","DOI":"10.1111\/jomf.12609","article-title":"Families in later life: a decade in review","volume":"82","author":"Carr","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Marriage Fam"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.7758\/rsf.2022.8.5.01","article-title":"Changing work, changing families, and public policies toward low-income families","volume":"8","author":"Carlson","year":"2022","journal-title":"RSF Russell Sage Found J Soc Sci"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1007\/s11113-023-09852-5","article-title":"Sandwich caregiving and paid work: differences by caregiving intensity and women\u2019s life stage","volume":"43","author":"Ansari-Thomas","year":"2024","journal-title":"Popul Res Policy Rev"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780197748268.003.0012","volume-title":"Motivational Interviewing in Medical Rehabilitation","author":"Ali","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref8","volume-title":"World Health Organization Recommendations on Caregiving Interventions to Support Early Child Development in the First Three Years of Life","author":"Yousafzai","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1059006","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1059006","article-title":"\u201cParenting my parents\u201d: perspectives of adult children on assuming and remaining in the caregiver\u2019s role","volume":"11","author":"Charenkova","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"250","DOI":"10.1037\/0882-7974.18.2.250","article-title":"Differences between caregivers and noncaregivers in psychological health and physical health: a meta-analysis","volume":"18","author":"Pinquart","year":"2003","journal-title":"Psychol Aging"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"832974","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2022.832974","article-title":"Exploring the needs of spousal, adult child, and adult sibling informal caregivers: a mixed-method systematic review","volume":"13","author":"Dang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1111\/jftr.12244","article-title":"Linked lives and cumulative inequality: a multigenerational family life course framework","volume":"10","author":"Gilligan","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Fam Theory Rev"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1305","DOI":"10.1093\/geronb\/gbac024","article-title":"Life course pathways into intergenerational caregiving","volume":"77","author":"Rodrigues","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Gerontol: Ser B"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"469","DOI":"10.1007\/978-0-387-85764-0_19","volume-title":"Sourcebook of Family Theories and Methods: A Contextual Approach","author":"Bengtson","year":"1993"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1111\/jftr.70067","article-title":"A comprehensive mapping of intergenerational caregiving: a scoping review of dyadic and family caregiving","author":"Seah","year":"2026","journal-title":"J Fam Theory Rev"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"583","DOI":"10.1093\/geront\/30.5.583","article-title":"Caregiving and the stress process: an overview of concepts and their measures","volume":"30","author":"Pearlin","year":"1990","journal-title":"The Gerontologist"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"457","DOI":"10.1080\/13607863.2023.2282683","article-title":"Family conflict over illness beliefs and care strategies: implications for burden in family caregivers","volume":"28","author":"Dieker","year":"2024","journal-title":"Aging Ment Health"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1177\/00914150221092128","article-title":"Respect your elders: generativity and life satisfaction in caregiving grandparents","volume":"96","author":"Scott","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Aging Hum Dev"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.14307\/JFCS110.4.7","article-title":"Common strengths of various types of family caregiving: applications for research, teaching, and practice in family and consumer sciences","volume":"110","author":"Yancura","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Fam Consum Sci"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"gbag024","DOI":"10.1093\/geronb\/gbag024","article-title":"When family caregiving happens: life-course timing and health outcomes in later life","volume":"81","author":"Lee","year":"2026","journal-title":"J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci"},{"key":"ref21","volume-title":"Caregiving in the US 2025","year":"2025"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"635","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-psych-010419-050754","article-title":"Family caregiving for older adults","volume":"71","author":"Schulz","year":"2020","journal-title":"Annu Rev Psychol"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e283","DOI":"10.1093\/geront\/gnaa043","article-title":"Systematic review of exercise for caregiver\u2013care recipient dyads: what is best for spousal caregivers\u2014exercising together or not at all?","volume":"61","author":"Doyle","year":"2021","journal-title":"The Gerontologist"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"78","DOI":"10.1177\/01939459221099672","article-title":"Gender differences in adverse psychosocial outcomes among family caregivers: a systematic review","volume":"45","author":"Bueno","year":"2023","journal-title":"West J Nurs Res"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1037\/a0021863","article-title":"Spouses, adult children, and children-in-law as caregivers of older adults: a meta-analytic comparison","volume":"26","author":"Pinquart","year":"2011","journal-title":"Psychol Aging"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0247143","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0247143","article-title":"Subjective caregiver burden and anxiety in informal caregivers: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"16","author":"del-Pino-Casado","year":"2021","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1028","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/dead070","article-title":"The psychosocial outcomes of older parenthood in early to mid-childhood: a mini-review","volume":"38","author":"Lysons","year":"2023","journal-title":"Hum Reprod"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1177\/0956797612447798","article-title":"In defense of parenthood: children are associated with more joy than misery","volume":"24","author":"Nelson","year":"2013","journal-title":"Psychol Sci"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"287","DOI":"10.1111\/padr.12624","article-title":"Fertility postponement, economic uncertainty, and the increasing income prerequisites of parenthood","volume":"50","author":"Van Wijk","year":"2024","journal-title":"Popul Dev Rev"},{"key":"ref30","volume-title":"Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRG) Act Initial Report to Congress","author":"Crowther","year":"2021"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1263","DOI":"10.1080\/13607863.2019.1584788","article-title":"Consequences on depression of combining grandparental childcare with other caregiving roles","volume":"24","author":"Arpino","year":"2020","journal-title":"Aging Ment Health"},{"key":"ref32","author":"Leonhardt","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref33","volume-title":"Powering Families: The Essential Role of Grandparents in Care, Connection and Support","author":"Kerman","year":"2026"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"341","DOI":"10.1007\/s10433-021-00674-y","article-title":"Grandparenting, health, and well-being: a systematic literature review","volume":"19","author":"Danielsbacka","year":"2022","journal-title":"Eur J Ageing"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e152","DOI":"10.1093\/geront\/gnx106","article-title":"Grandparents raising grandchildren: what have we learned over the past decade?","volume":"59","author":"Hayslip","year":"2019","journal-title":"The Gerontologist"},{"key":"ref36","volume-title":"The Handbook of Life-Span Development","author":"Overton","year":"2010"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.ps.31.020180.000433","article-title":"Life-span Developmental Psychology","volume":"31","author":"Baltes","year":"1980","journal-title":"Annu Rev Psychol"},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/s40471-022-00313-9","article-title":"Aging in rural communities","volume":"10","author":"Cohen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Curr Epidemiol Rep"},{"key":"ref39","volume-title":"Ageing and Health","year":"2025"},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"275","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-12-816094-7.00016-7","volume-title":"Handbook of the Psychology of Aging.","author":"Aldwin","year":"2021"},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"172","DOI":"10.1177\/0891988714524627","article-title":"Caregiver burden: the strongest predictor of self-rated health in caregivers of patients with dementia","volume":"27","author":"Abdollahpour","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol"},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e2022154","DOI":"10.23750\/abm.v93iS2.12979","article-title":"The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on family caregivers\u2019 mental health: a rapid systematic review of the current evidence: COVID-19 and family caregivers\u2019 mental health","volume":"93","author":"Dellafiore","year":"2022","journal-title":"Acta Biomed Atenei Parm"},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"977846","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.977846","article-title":"The positive impact of informal spousal caregiving on the physical activity of older adults","volume":"10","author":"Zan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"543","DOI":"10.1177\/08982643241273197","article-title":"Grandparenting and physical activity","volume":"37","author":"Drentea","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Aging Health"},{"key":"ref45","volume-title":"Using Health and Retirement Study data: A guide for new Users","author":"Sonnega","year":"2025"},{"key":"ref46","volume-title":"RAND HRS Longitudinal File 2020 (V2) Documentation","author":"Bugliari","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1177\/0164027506296759","article-title":"Formal and informal volunteer activity and spousal caregiving among older adults","volume":"29","author":"Choi","year":"2007","journal-title":"Res Aging"},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"465","DOI":"10.1177\/0733464813508649","article-title":"More caregiving, less working: caregiving roles and gender difference","volume":"34","author":"Lee","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Appl Gerontol"},{"key":"ref49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1262","DOI":"10.1136\/bjsports-2014-094306","article-title":"Even a low-dose of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduces mortality by 22% in adults aged \u226560 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"49","author":"Hupin","year":"2015","journal-title":"Br J Sports Med"},{"key":"ref50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e008815","DOI":"10.1161\/JAHA.118.008815","article-title":"Volume of light versus moderate-to-vigorous physical activity: similar benefits for all-cause mortality?","volume":"7","author":"Saint-Maurice","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Am Heart Assoc"},{"key":"ref51","volume-title":"Stata 19 Base Reference Manual","year":"2025"},{"key":"ref52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"799","DOI":"10.1111\/jgs.18138","article-title":"A national profile of sandwich generation caregivers providing care to both older adults and children","volume":"71","author":"Lei","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Am Geriatr Soc"},{"key":"ref53","first-page":"3","article-title":"The sandwich generation: women caring for parents and children","volume":"129","author":"Pierret","year":"2006","journal-title":"Mon Lab Rev"},{"key":"ref54","volume-title":"Statistical power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences","author":"Cohen","year":"1988"},{"key":"ref55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2297","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2007.02.007","article-title":"Health concordance within couples: a systematic review","volume":"64","author":"Meyler","year":"2007","journal-title":"Soc Sci Med"},{"key":"ref56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"518","DOI":"10.1080\/01634372.2021.1912242","article-title":"Differences in burden severity in adult-child family caregivers and spousal caregivers of persons with dementia","volume":"64","author":"Kunicki","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Gerontol Soc Work"},{"key":"ref57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.5770\/cgj.20.252","article-title":"Understanding how to support family caregivers of seniors with complex needs","volume":"20","author":"Charles","year":"2017","journal-title":"Can Geriatr J"},{"key":"ref58","volume-title":"Parents Under Pressure: The US Surgeon General\u2019s Advisory on the Mental Health & Well-Being of Parents","year":"2024"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1886926\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T04:24:23Z","timestamp":1787545463000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1886926\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]]},"references-count":58,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1886926"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1886926","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]]},"article-number":"1886926"}}