It Takes a Village: Unpacking Contextual Factors Influencing Caregiving in Urban Poor Neighbourhoods of Bangalore, South India

Abstract

Background: Caregivers in urban settings often face unique challenges in providing nurturing care. This qualitative study explores the complex realities of caregiving among mothers and grandmothers in urban poor neighbourhoods of Bangalore, South India. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, this is the first study in urban India that examines how caregivers’ perceptions, along with individual and systemic factors, shape caregiving practices in this setting. Methods: In-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with 22 mothers and grandmothers of 4–6-year-old children from the urban MAASTHI cohort in Bangalore, South India. Topic guides were developed, pre-tested, and piloted. IDIs were conducted in local languages (Kannada and Hindi). Transcripts were coded using NVivo 12 plus and analyzed via a thematic analysis approach using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems framework to organize themes. Findings: At the microsystem level, caregivers engaged with children through storytelling and play, though competing demands like household chores often constrained these interactions. Disciplining techniques varied, and the absence of fathers placed additional burdens on mothers. The mesosystem revealed the critical role of extended family in providing support. At the exosystem level, unsafe neighbourhoods limited children’s opportunities for outdoor play. The macrosystem highlighted how religious values provided moral frameworks for parenting and the presence of stigma against single mothers. The chronosystem explored declining social support over time and challenges. Conclusions: These findings emphasize that caregiving inequities are not isolated but structurally embedded, demanding interventions that address sociocultural, economic, and spatial barriers to equitable support for caregivers, particularly those in disadvantaged settings. It calls for context-sensitive interventions, including community-based parenting programmes including maternal well-being, strengthening community and public support systems, improving safe play spaces, and longitudinal research. By amplifying marginalized caregivers’ voices, this research highlights the need for policies that support nurturing care in low-resource settings to break intergenerational cycles of disadvantage.