Translating Discovery Science. Improving self‐efficacy in grandparents raising grandchildren: Results from a strengths‐based education intervention

• Published date: 01 July 2023
• Author: Aimee L. Fox,Nathaniel R. Riggs,Loriena Yancura,Julia L. Sharp,Christine A. Fruhauf
• Date: 01 July 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12695

BRIEF REPORT

Translating Discovery Science. Improving self-

efficacy in grandparents raising grandchildren:

Results from a strengths-based education intervention

Aimee L. Fox

1

|Nathaniel R. Riggs

2

|Loriena Yancura

3

|

Julia L. Sharp

4

|Christine A. Fruhauf

2

1

Center on Aging, Kansas State University,

Manhattan, Kansas, United States

2

Human Development and Family Studies,

Colorado State University, Ft. Collins,

Colorado, United States

3

Family and Consumer Sciences, University of

Hawai’iatM



anoa, Honolulu, Hawaii,

United States

4

Department of Statistics, Colorado State

University, Ft. Collins, Colorado,

United States

Correspondence

Aimee L. Fox, Center on Aging, Kansas State

University, 253 Justin Hall, 1324 Lovers Lane,

Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.

Email: aimeefox@ksu.edu

Funding information

Colorado State University; National Institute

of Food and Agriculture, Children Youth and

Families At-Risk (CYFAR) Sustai; U.S.

Department of Agriculture; University of

Hawaii

Abstract

Background: Custodial grandparents often protect against

childhood trauma and promote resilience in their

grandchildren. In this role, grandparents face many chal-

lenges and may lack confidence in their parenting abilities.

Increasing grandparent self-efficacy may help promote

grandfamily resilience. Yet few interventions exist to help

grandparents adapt to challenges faced as primary parent-

ing figures for grandchildren.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the

preliminary efficacy of a strengths-based intervention for

grandparents raising grandchildren and explore whether it

would improve grandparent self-efficacy.

Method: Grandparents providing primary care to

grandchildren participated in a 6-week intervention,

single-group, pretest–posttest design. Self-efficacy was

assessed at baseline (N=149), post-intervention

(n=104), and6 months (n=55). A linear mixed effects

analysis was conducted to test the effect of the intervention

on grandparent self-efficacy.

Results: The intervention was associated with small

improvements in grandparents’self-efficacy, after control-

ling for demographic variables and perceived social sup-

port. These improvements were sustained over time.

All human subject procedures complied with the approved Colorado State University Institutional Review Board protocol #19-8657H

and University of Hawaii at Manoa Human Studies Program protocol CHS #23779.

The authors thank Dr. Leslie Congleton and Dr. Kathy Shannon at the Powerful Tools for Caregivers (PTC) organization for allowing

us to use and adapt the PTC program for use with grandparents raising grandchildren. In addition, A.L.F. thanks Dr. Manfred Diehl,

Dr. Gloria Luong, and Dr. Karen Atler for their guidance during the development of this paper.

This research was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture—Children Youth and

Families At-Risk (CYFAR) Sustainable Community Project (grant 2015-06132) and awarded to Colorado State University and the

University of Hawai’i at Manoa.

Received: 16 November 2021Revised: 21 January 2022Accepted: 27 February 2022

DOI: 10.1111/fare.12695

© 2022 National Council on Family Relations.

966 Family Relations. 2023;72:966–975.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare