The Measurable Cognitive Health Benefits Of Grandparenthood

Humans are, by evolution, social creatures. As individuals we may have something of a spectrum from introvert to extrovert, but as a species, we thrive in community. And we suffer, when we don’t have that.

Furthermore, being lonely and/or isolated…

• Allows important parts of our brain to atrophy
• Will tend towards promoting depression, which can lead to suicidality (and at the very least a decline of physical health, even without suicidality)
• Means that if we slip in the shower, someone will find our body a month later

We wrote about some of these things, here: How To Beat Loneliness & Isolation

Loneliness also raises the risk of heart disease by 29% and the risk of stroke by 32%. It also brings about higher susceptibility to illness (flu, COVID, chronic pain, etc), as well as poor sleep quality and cognitive decline, possibly leading to dementia. Not only that, but it also promotes inflammation, and premature death (comparable to smoking).

You can learn more about that, here: What Loneliness Does To Your Brain And Body ← spoiler: it’s nothing good!

This is a particular problem in the US: Why U.S. middle-aged adults report more loneliness and poorer health than peers abroad

So, clearly, social connection is important. But what makes grandchildren so special?

A two-way street

You may remember when we wrote about The Easiest Way To Slow Brain Aging By Up To 20% ← it has to do with helping other people!

And, that goes for looking after grandkids, too.

Researchers (Flavia Chereches et al.) analyzed data from 2,887 grandparents (average age 67) who completed surveys and cognitive tests repeatedly between 2016 and 2022. The surveys recorded whether grandparents provided care, and detailed activities such as overnight care, caring for ill grandchildren, play and leisure, homework help, driving, meal preparation, things like that.

What they found, in few words, is that grandparents who provided childcare scored higher on memory and verbal fluency tests than those who didn’t, even after adjusting for age, health, and other factors. Furthermore, this benefit was most strongly pronounced in grandmothers specifically.

You can find the paper itself, here: Grandparents’ Cognition and Caregiving for Grandchildren: Frequency, Type, and Variety of Activities

Another recent study (Dr. Jennifer Caputo et al.) found similarly; this time the analysis used data from the 1998–2016 Health and Retirement Study, covering 11,357 US adults aged 50 and older.

This one quantified it further, showing grandparents providing 100–199, 200–499, or 500+ hours of care having better cognitive functioning than non-caregivers. Perhaps most interestingly, these benefits increased with age and were most pronounced among those with greater functional limitations.

You can read this paper in full, here: Keeping Us Young? Grandchild Caregiving and Older Adults’ Cognitive Functioning

“That’s great, but my grandkids don’t have time for me, and/or I don’t have grandchildren”

In such a case, check out: Human Connection In An All-Too-Busy World ← this is actually great for friendships also!

Are you a grandparent?

Perhaps even a grandmother, specifically?

If so, you may well be interested in 10almonds’ sister publication, Devoted Grandma.

Enjoy!