Grandparents’ cognition and caregiving for grandchildren: Frequency, type, and variety of activities.

Abstract

Previous research has indicated that a higher frequency of grandchild care is associated with better cognition and slower cognitive decline in grandparents. However, we do not know if specific caregiving activities (e.g., engaging in leisure activities with grandchildren, cooking for them) or the variety thereof affect grandparents’ cognition and whether these effects are gender specific. Using latent growth curve models on three waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), which includes grandparents aged 50 and older (N > 1,700), we first compared caregiving grandparents to propensity score-matched noncaregiving grandparents. Then we examined the caregiving group specifically to understand if (a) caregiving frequency, (b) specific caregiving activities, or (c) the variety thereof predicted cognitive levels and decline. Both caregiving grandmothers and grandfathers showed higher levels of verbal fluency and episodic memory compared with matched controls, but only caregiving grandmothers showed less cognitive decline over time. Among caregiving grandparents, the frequency of caregiving did not predict cognitive functioning. However, grandparents with initially higher cognitive levels were more engaged in specific activities (e.g., spending leisure time with grandchildren, assisting them with homework) and participated in a wider variety of activities. Our findings reveal a link between grandchild care status and cognition among grandparents, while raising questions about the role of caregiving frequency and specific caregiving activities for cognitive level and decline. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)