- Experts from Johannes Gutenberg University conducted an analysis of 14,810 people
- Results show having grandchildren promotes mental and physical health
Becoming a grandparent may remind you that you’re not as young as you used to be, but brace yourself. Your brain power will improve and you may be less likely to suffer from depression in the future.
On the other hand, the presence of grandchildren may also keep men and women more active, and babysitting grandchildren appears to be important for health.
An analysis of 14,810 people aged 50 to 80 (one-third of whom were grandparents) found that running around after children in later life had a positive impact on physical and mental health. It has been suggested that it may give you a lot of money, but it depends on how much work you put into it.
Women who looked after their grandchildren every day were found to be less happy than other women, perhaps because it became too much of a burden.
Professor Rein van Ewijk from Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany, who led the study, said: “Having grandchildren can give people new meaning in life, new roles and increased social interaction.” said.
“This may explain our findings because all kinds of tasks as a grandparent are probably good for you, such as reading to your child or pushing a pram.”
In this study, grandmothers who are close to their children (who speak to their children several times a week, in person or by phone) completed memory tests before and after their grandchildren were born, indicating whether they had symptoms of depression. Filled out the questionnaire.
On average, after becoming grandparents, women performed significantly better on a test of recalling a list of 10 words and were about 3 percentage points less likely to show signs of depression.
However, there were no major changes in the man who became a grandfather.
People close to the child were also asked how easy they found it to perform daily activities important to living independently, such as cooking, cleaning, and getting dressed.
After becoming grandparents, both men and women were 1 to 2 percentage points less likely to report being unable to do at least one of these tasks.
The physical demands of becoming a grandparent can help you become more active and avoid frailty and mobility issues.
But grandparents who never babysat their grandchildren were less happy than non-grandparents, suggesting they felt they were missing out on their young people’s childhoods.
And 12 percent of grandmothers who cared for their grandchildren every day without both parents are on average less happy than they were before becoming grandparents.
The study, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, found that being a grandparent reduces happiness among people who don’t have close contact with their children.