Study reinforces the idea that being with younger people can help protect older people from cognitive decline.
To care regularly from grandchildren may be associated with a better cognitive health in older people. The idea is reinforced by a new one released by the American Psychological Association.
The investigation concludes that common everyday tasks (playing, helping with homework, preparing meals or taking children to school) can contribute to better performance in areas such as verbal fluency ea episodic memory, responsible for evoking personal experiences and events from the past.
The study looked at 2,887 grandparents over the age of 50, with an average age of 67, who lived independently and remained cognitively healthy during the period observed.
Between 2016 and 2022, participants answered questionnaires and took cognitive tests at three points in time.
In addition to evaluating how often grandparents took care of their grandchildren without the parents’ presence — during school holidays, weekends, weekdays or throughout the year — the researchers sought to understand what types of activities were carried out. Around 56% of participants provided care throughout the year.
One of the most striking results: assuming the role of caregiver seems to have more burden on cognitive functioning than the regularity of care or the exact nature of tasks.
Still, some activities stood out: play and support with homework were associated with better results in verbal fluency and episodic memory; and go often pick up the children school also appeared linked to greater verbal fluency.
Research has identified differences between genders, highlights .
The grandmothers, women, care more often and the benefits seem to persist for longer: they started the study with better verbal skills and more accurate memory and showed a slower decline than those who did not care.
Nos men, Those who provided care had better initial performance, but the decline occurred at the same rate as those who did not provide care.
The authors emphasize that the family context can be decisive, advocating more research into situations in which care is voluntary and supported – in contrast to more stressful contexts or those experienced as a burden.
