Second Parenthoods: The Influence of Custodial Care of Children Among African-American Elderly on Their Travel Behavior and Transportation Needs

The present study was an investigation of the relationship between household lifecycle and travel behaviors and concerns of African-American elderly who are involved in “second parenthoods.” This report defines a second parenthood as an arrangement in which an elderly person has custodial care of a minor who is usually a grandchild or other relative. In these second parenthoods, the elderly are confronted with a host of social-psychological issues that are reflective of an earlier lifecycle stage wherein the transportation behaviors, concerns, and needs are quite different. The results of the current investigation indicate that this cohort of individuals most often resides in urban areas, has low income, has low educational attainment, and has a host of health-related problems that may affect the travel behaviors necessary for the custodial care of children. While the results often varied, one rather consistent pattern was that households with children, particularly those headed by single females, were quite different from other types of households along a variety of measures related to travel behavior, health, travel concerns, and transportation needs. Female heads of household were more likely than male heads of household to be of low income, have less education, have custody of younger children, have more chronic medical problems, have a greater variety of travel concerns, travel fewer miles, have shorter trip times, and have a medical condition that makes travel difficult and requires special transport. The findings are discussed in terms of the need for special transportation programs that address the special needs of the African-Americans in second parenthoods as well as the need for additional research to elucidate the complexity of this continually expanding cohort.

• Record URL:
  http://www.morgan.edu//Documents/ACADEMICS/CENTERS/NTC/Second_Smith_1011.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/39417
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Morgan State University

  Department of Psychology, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane
  Baltimore, MD  United States  21251

  Morgan State University

  Department of Sociology and Anthropology, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane
  Baltimore, MD  United States  21251

  National Transportation Center

  Morgan State University, 1700 E Cold Spring Lane
  Baltimore, MD  United States  21251

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Smith, Robert J
  • Hargett, Stella L
• Publication Date: 2011-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 105p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: African Americans; Aged; Diseases and medical conditions; Low income groups; Social psychology; Travel behavior; Urban areas
• Uncontrolled Terms: Child care; Special transportation services; Travel needs
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01335484
• Record Type: Publication
• Contract Numbers: 0608-002
• Files: UTC, NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 15 2011 12:16PM