HEALTH OF GRANDMOTHERS RAISING CHILDREN OF THE CRACK COCAINE EPIDEMIC

OBJECTIVES. Approximately 3.2 million children live with their grandpa rents or other relatives-a 40% increase in 10 years. This article pres ents selected findings from an exploratory study of the experience of 71 African-American women raising their grandchildren because of the c rack epidemic. METHODS. The study was designed to describe the caregiv ers' self-reported physical and emotional health status and health-car e-related behaviors through a combination of qualitative and quantitat ive data collected during two in-home interviews. RESULTS. Most respon dents rated their health as good or fair, with little change over the previous year, or since caregiving began. Employed women were more lik ely not only to rate their health as excellent or good, but also to re port that their health had deteriorated over the previous year. Other subgroups showing evidence of deteriorating health were those caring f or several grandchildren and great-grandmothers. Caregivers without a confidante reported a positive health change. Although 80% of the samp le reported receiving regular health care, one third had not been to t he doctor in 3 years. Half reported breaking a medical appointment in the last year, most often because of caregiving demands. CONCLUSIONS. These findings have relevance for physicians and other health-care pro viders because they suggest that many grandparent caregivers may be or soon become the ''hidden patients'' of the crack cocaine epidemic.