Journal article

Role of grandparenting in postmenopausal women's cognitive health: results from the Women's Healthy Aging Project

Katherine F Burn, Victor W Henderson, David Ames, Lorraine Dennerstein, Cassandra Szoeke

MENOPAUSE-THE JOURNAL OF THE NORTH AMERICAN MENOPAUSE SOCIETY | LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS | Published : 2014

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Preserving aging cognition improves quality of life and delays dementia onset. Previous studies have shown that social engagement can maintain cognition; however, none has examined the effects of grandparenting, an important role among postmenopausal women. This study aims to examine the role of grandparenting in cognition among postmenopausal women. METHODS: Participants were 186 Australian women from the longitudinal prospective Women's Healthy Aging Project. Cognition was assessed using the Symbol-Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), California Verbal Learning Test, and Tower of London. RESULTS: Amount of time spent minding grandchildren predicted differences in SDMT performance (P < ..

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Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

This study was partly supported by the Alzheimer's Association, Collier Trust, Scobie and Claire McKinnon Foundation, J.O. and J.R. Wicking Trust, Shepherd Foundation, Brain Foundation, Mason Foundation, Ramaciotti Foundation, Alzheimer's Australia, Royal Australian College of Physicians, and National Health and Medical Research Council.