Table 1 Weighted descriptive characteristics of respondents by year

Intergenerational exchanges

 Coresidence with at least 1 grandchild

7.65

7.05

5.81

7.18

 Contacts with at least 1 grandchild

  Daily

47.72

45.08

42.56

39.40

 Grandchild caregiving

  Never

21.58

22.20

17.64

17.94

  Parents work

29.50

33.39

34.48

39.29

Occasional

39.75

35.98

37.74

34.08

 Holidays

9.17

8.42

10.13

8.67

Demographic and socio-economic characteristics

 Women

60.21

59.92

59.97

59.33

 Age class

  < 49

6.58

2.38

2.30

2.37

  50–59 (ref.)

17.42

16.00

14.63

12.18

  60–74

53.35

51.18

47.57

47.11

  75 + 

26.60

30.43

35.50

38.34

 Marital status

  Married

68.35

68.28

67.42

66.57

  Widow

28.30

27.95

26.54

25.70

  Divorced/separated/Never married

3.35

3.77

6.04

7.73

 Macro-region of residence

  North

44.50

44.27

44.06

44.72

  Centre

21.10

20.96

21.40

19.74

  South

34.40

34.77

34.54

35.53

 Education

  High school diploma

9.02

10.39

13.63

21.86

 Working status

  At work

10.95

11.24

10.93

11.66

  Other

53.50

57.47

55.74

57.14

  Retired

35.55

31.29

33.33

31.20

 Own Income

 Yes

84.41

85.04

84.52

83.92

 Chronic disease

17.69

18.21

14.64

13.04

 Number of grandchildren (Mean; SD)

3.48 (3.25)

3.34 (2.84)

3.15 (2.64)

2.97 (1.91)

 Living proximity

  < 1 km (included coresidence)

51.99

51.79

46.02

45.27

  Between 1 to 16 km

35.09

34.63

37.50

36.94

  > 16 km

12.92

13.58

16.49

17.79