Giornate di Studio sulla Popolazione (Popdays), Giornate di Studio sulla Popolazione 2019

Font Size: 
Grandparental childcare, social participation and cognitive functioning of older Europeans
Bruno Arpino, Valeria Bordone

##manager.scheduler.building##: Velodromo - Bocconi University
##manager.scheduler.room##: N02
Date: 2019-01-25 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Last modified: 2018-12-26

Abstract


Previous studies have reported a positive association between older people’s involvement in either grandparental childcare or social activities and their cognitive outcomes. Our contribution to this literature is twofold. First, we assess whether the combination of grandparental childcare and social participation influences cognitive functioning in later life. Second, to do so, we use methods that address possible selection issues and reverse causality. We apply longitudinal models to data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). SHARE includes information on grandparental childcare, several forms of social participation (volunteering, participation in social clubs, educational courses, political groups) and multiple dimensions of cognitive functioning (numeracy, immediate and delayed recall, verbal fluency). Preliminary results confirm that, for both men and women, provision of grandparental childcare and participation in social activities are associated with better cognitive functioning. However, the interaction between the two activities is not always statistically or substantially significant. The findings of this study point to the importance of social engagement in order to limit the decline in cognitive functioning associated with ageing. Yet, contrary to the role enhancement/conflict theoretical frameworks, our results indicate neither a beneficial nor a detrimental effect of combining grandparental childcare and social participation.


Keywords


Grandparents; Social activities; Cognition; Europe