Demographic Profile, Geographic Distribution, Disability Prevalence, and Likelihood of being In-Poverty amongst Grandparents Responsible for Grandchildren
Evidence-based research on Grandparents Responsible for Grandchildren (GRfG) continues to grow in recent decades. This brief report expands global knowledge on custodial grandparents by making use of a large data resource in the United States (US). The specific aim was to delineate the demographic profile, geographic distribution, and prevalence of specific-disabilities for the GRFG population in the US mainland. We also explore how demographic factors are associated with likelihood of being in-poverty. The analysis used data from the 2009-2013 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) file. The ACS is a nationally representative, yearly, statistical survey administered by the US Census Bureau and is the premier source for detailed information about the US population. The 141,270 actual units in the microdata are estimated to represent about 2,704,327 GRfGs. Population-weighted estimates detail the GRfG population and population-weighted multivariable logistic regressions indicate all race-ethnic GRfG minorities were at greater risk for being in-poverty when compared to Non-Hispanic-White GRfGs. Investigations should continue to paint the population profile of GRfGs using large-scale data sources to better understand the needs of custodial grandparents