Grandparents who see their grandkids more often were less likely to say they feel isolated or say they lack companionship, according to new data from the National Poll on Healthy Aging at University of Michigan.

In all, the poll shows, 60% of adults aged 50 and over have at least one grandchild, including step-grandchildren, adopted grandchildren and great-grandchildren. That includes the 27% who said they have five or more grandchildren.

Those over age 65 were much more likely than those in their 50s and early 60s to say they have one or more grandchildren, at 76% versus 46%.

People with at least one grandchild were more likely than those without grandchildren to say they hardly ever feel isolated. In all, 72% of those with grandchildren say they hardly ever feel isolated, compared with 62% of those without grandchildren. People without grandchildren were also more likely to say their mental health is fair or poor compared with those who have grandchildren (13% versus 9%).

Overall, 78% of those who see grandchildren under 18 every day or nearly every day said they hardly ever feel isolated, compared with 65% of those who see their grandchildren every few months or less. Also, 73% of those who see their grandchildren at least weekly or once or twice a month said they hardly ever feel isolated.

As for feeling a lack of companionship, 57% of grandparents who see their grandchildren only every few months reported feeling this way, compared with around 70% of those who see them more frequently.

Additional data from this report is on the website for the National Poll on Healthy Aging here.