New research shows caring for grandchildren generally does not have dramatic and widespread negative impacts on grandparents' health. Instead, some grandparents are already ill before they begin caring for grandchildren and others don't experience a health change.

The study involved over 13,000 grandparents between the ages of 50 and 80. The research contradicts a common belief that the stress associated with caring for grandchildren exceeds the capacity of aging grandparents. However, scholars involved in the current study found that even in cases where grandparents provide primary care for their grandchildren, their health is generally not undermined by the responsibility.