Home / Health / Grandparenting Boosts Brainpower: New Study
Grandparenting Boosts Brainpower: New Study
3 Feb
Summary
- Childcare providing grandparents showed higher cognitive test scores.
- Benefits observed regardless of care frequency or specific activities.
- Voluntary care in supportive families is more beneficial than stressful situations.
Grandparents who actively provide childcare may experience a slowdown in age-related cognitive decline. A study involving nearly 3,000 participants, averaging 67 years old, found that those who cared for grandchildren performed better on memory and verbal fluency tests.
These cognitive advantages were observed even after accounting for factors such as age and health. The positive effects were present irrespective of how frequently care was given or the nature of the activities undertaken.
The research, published in Psychology and Aging, highlighted that the context of caregiving is crucial. Lead researcher Flavia Chereches noted that voluntary care within a supportive family network yielded the most significant benefits, distinguishing it from caregiving that might be burdensome or stressful.
