The Cumulative Effect of Grandchild Care on Cognitive Functioning: Examining Heterogeneities across Gendered Work-Family Life Courses in Europe

Maria Karlene Shawn Cabaraban , Department of Sociology, University of Vienna
Valeria Bordone, University of Vienna
Damiano Uccheddu, Center for Demographic Research (DEMO), University of Louvain, Belgium
Daniela Weber, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Grandparents’ central place in European family care systems has raised questions about whether this role affects their health. Research in this area has often focused on the cognitive effects of grandchild care, which is a relevant contribution. These studies have however overlooked whether and how caregiving engagement over time may differently affect cognitive functioning, e.g. through mechanisms of wear-and-tear (i.e., long-term stress depletes resources) or adaptation (i.e., individuals develop coping strategies that mitigate strains). This paper investigates this, adding an exploration of whether prior work-family life course experiences shape grandparental involvement and their cognitive outcomes. To do so, first, we apply multichannel sequence and cluster analysis to retrospective life history information (ages 15 to 49) from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) to identify distinct work-family life course types among men and women aged 50-80. Second, we employ fixed-effects (FE) panel regression models to assess whether cognitive changes associated with cumulative grandchild care reflect wear-and-tear or adaptation across different work-family life courses types. Findings point to heterogeneities across gendered work-family life courses. For instance, women with stable partnerships and lifelong unpaid domestic work experience improved memory recall from consecutive grandchild care, but these advantages fade with sustained caregiving, suggesting adaptation rather than cumulative benefits. These women consistently exhibit the lowest verbal fluency. Men’s cognitive changes are more uniform, with only those having unstable work histories and delayed fatherhood showing memory improvements from weekly care.

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 Presented in Session 31. Flash Session Family Relationships, Social Networks, Health and Wellbeing in Later Life