It’s a no-brainer: The analysis shows why being a grandparent is good for the brain and can make men and women more active
- Experts from Johanes Gutenberg University conducted an analysis of 14,810 people
- The results show that having grandchildren can improve mental and physical health
Becoming a grandparent may be a reminder that you’re not as young as you used to be, but take heart – it could boost your brain power and reduce your risk of suffering from depression later in life.
Meanwhile, grandchildren could also make men and women more active, while looking after these children appears to be important for well-being.
An analysis of 14,810 people aged 50 to 80, a third of whom became grandparents, suggests that a child’s running around could have positive effects on physical and mental health later in life – but it depends on how much work you take on.
It was found that women who cared for their grandchildren on a daily basis fared worse than others, possibly because the burden became too great.
Professor Reyn van Ewijk, who led the study from Johanes Gutenberg University in Germany, said: “Grandchildren can give people a new meaning to their lives, a new role and more social interaction.”
An analysis of 14,810 people aged 50 to 80, a third of whom became grandparents, suggests that having a child run around could have positive effects on personal health later in life
It was found that women who cared for their grandchildren on a daily basis fared worse than others, possibly because the burden became too great
“This could explain our findings, as all types of grandparenting tasks, from reading a book to a child to pushing a stroller, are likely to be good for you.”
In the study, grandmothers who were close to their children – speaking to them in person or on the phone several times a week – took a memory test before and after the birth of grandchildren and filled out a questionnaire to indicate whether they had symptoms of depression .
On average, after becoming grandparents, women performed significantly better on tests that required them to remember a list of 10 words and were about three percent less likely to show signs of depression.
However, there was no significant change in men who became grandfathers.
People close to their children were also asked how easy it is for them to complete everyday activities that are important for independent living, such as cooking, cleaning and dressing.
After becoming grandparents, both men and women were one to two percent less likely to report being unable to do at least one of these tasks.
The physical demands of being a grandparent can help you be more active and prevent frailty and mobility problems.
However, grandparents who never looked after their grandchildren saw a greater decline in well-being than non-grandparents – suggesting they feel like they are missing out on their little ones’ childhood.
And the 12 percent of grandmothers who cared for their grandchildren every day without their parents experienced an average decline in their well-being compared to before they became grandparents.
The study, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, found that the fact that grandparents do not have close contact with their children affects the well-being of those who do not have close contact with them.