Caring for Grandkids Protects Brain Health
- Taking care of your grandchildren could do more than add joy to your life - it may also keep your brain sharp.A large new study found that grandparents...
- Researchers analyzed data from nearly 3,000 grandparents aged 50 and older (average participant age was 67) who where enrolled in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.
- Grandparents were asked whether they had provided care for a grandchild in the past year, as well as how frequently enough they helped and what types of activities...
Grandparenting May Boost Brain Health
Taking care of your grandchildren could do more than add joy to your life – it may also keep your brain sharp.A large new study found that grandparents who provided care for their grandchildren performed better on tests of memory and verbal fluency than those who did not. For women, caring for grandkids was also linked to slower cognitive decline over time.
“What stood out most to us was that being a caregiving grandparent seemed to matter more for cognitive functioning than how frequently enough grandparents provided care or what exactly they did with their grandchildren,” says Flavia Chereches,a researcher at Tilburg University in the Netherlands.
Grandparenting Offers a Healthy Combination of Activity, Brain Stimulation, and Good Vibes
Researchers analyzed data from nearly 3,000 grandparents aged 50 and older (average participant age was 67) who where enrolled in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. participants completed cognitive tests up to three times between 2016 and 2022.
Grandparents were asked whether they had provided care for a grandchild in the past year, as well as how frequently enough they helped and what types of activities they did - such as playing with grandchildren, helping with homework, preparing meals, or watching them overnight.
grandparents who provided any care scored higher on tests of memory and verbal tests than those who did not, even after accounting for age, education, health, and other factors.
“We know that staying active, by moving our bodies and by engaging in cognitive-stimulating activities, is good as we get older,” says Chereches. Caring for grandchildren may provide older adults with opportunities for these activities - acts of service that many older adults find deeply meaningful, she says.
“Perhaps, cognitive benefits may stem from the positive emotions associated with caregiving, increased physical activity, or higher social integration,” says Chereches.
Why Caregiving Might Support Brain Health
The finding that caregiving grandparents scored higher on tests of memory and verbal fluency makes sense, says Deborah Kado, MD, a