Table 1.
Descriptive characteristics of grandparents by gender
| Total (N = 6207) | Male (N = 2784) | Female (N = 3423) | Statistical significance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age (±standard deviation) | 66.7 (± 8.4) | 67.8 (± 8.2) | 65.8 (± 8.4) | *** |
| % With a diploma or higher | 20.2 | 23.3 | 17.7 | *** |
| % Employed | 14.0 | 20.6 | 8.7 | *** |
| % Having one’s own income | 81.6 | 97.7 | 68.5 | *** |
| % Having at least adequate economic resources | 62.2 | 63.8 | 60.9 | * |
| % Married | 78.4 | 89.1 | 69.8 | *** |
| % Widowed | 16.0 | 6.0 | 24.1 | |
| % Separated, divorced or single | 5.6 | 5.0 | 6.1 | |
| % With a marital disruption in the last 3 years | 3.3 | 2.1 | 4.3 | *** |
| % Chronic illness | 33.7 | 34.3 | 33.2 | Not significant |
| % Any long-term limiting illness | 35.8 | 34.8 | 36.6 | Not significant |
| % North | 40.9 | 39.9 | 41.7 | Not significant |
| % Centre | 18.9 | 19.4 | 18.5 | |
| % South | 40.2 | 40.7 | 39.8 | |
| Mean number of living children (±standard deviation) | 2.4 (± 1.1) | 2.4 (± 1.1) | 2.4 (± 1.1) | Not significant |
| Mean number of grandchildren (±standard deviation) | 2.9 (± 2.3) | 2.8 (± 2.2) | 3.0 (± 2.3) | *** |
Level of significance associated with the Pearson Chi-squared test for frequencies and Kruskal–Wallis test for continuous variables
*** p < 0.01; ** p < 0.05; * p < 0.001