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Fertility History and Cognition in Later Life

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  • Sanna L Read
  • Emily M D Grundy

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the association between fertility history and cognition in older men and women. Method: We analyzed associations between number of children (parity) and timing of births with level and change in cognition among 11,233 men and women aged 50+ in England using latent growth curve models. Models were adjusted for age, socioeconomic position, health, depressive symptoms, control, social contacts, activities, and isolation. Results: Low (0–1 child) and high parity (3+ children) compared to medium parity (2 children) were associated with poorer cognitive functioning, as was an early age at entry to parenthood (<20 women/23 men). Many of these associations disappeared when socioeconomic position and health were controlled. For women, however, adjusting for socioeconomic position and social contacts strengthened the association between childlessness and poor cognition. Late motherhood (>35) was associated with better cognitive function. ConclusionAssociations between fertility history and cognition were to large extent accounted for socioeconomic position, partly because this influenced health and social engagement. Poorer cognition in childless people and better cognition among mothers experiencing child birth at higher ages suggest factors related to childbearing/rearing that are beneficial for later cognitive functioning, although further research into possible earlier selection factors is needed.

Suggested Citation

  • Sanna L Read & Emily M D Grundy, 2017. "Fertility History and Cognition in Later Life," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 72(6), pages 1021-1031.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:geronb:v:72:y:2017:i:6:p:1021-1031.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/geronb/gbw013
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stefan Agrigoroaei & Margie E. Lachman, 2011. "Cognitive Functioning in Midlife and Old Age: Combined Effects of Psychosocial and Behavioral Factors," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 66(suppl_1), pages 130-140.
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    1. Weng, Yulei & Yang, Xiaocong, 2023. "Fertility behaviors and mid-late-life health status in China: From a life-course perspective," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 338(C).
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    3. Hilden, Mikael & Huuki, Hannu & Kivisaari, Visa & Kopsakangas-Savolainen, Maria, 2018. "The importance of transnational impacts of climate change in a power market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 418-425.
    4. Rezny, Lukas & White, James Buchanan & Maresova, Petra, 2019. "The knowledge economy: Key to sustainable development?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 291-300.
    5. Zhang, Yan & Fletcher, Jason & Lu, Qiongshi & Song, Jie, 2023. "Gender differences in the association between parity and cognitive function: Evidence from the UK biobank," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    6. Liang, Yu & Dong, Jing, 2022. "The impact of the send-down experience on the health of elderly Chinese women: Evidence from the China family panel studies," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 377-389.
    7. Perera, A.T.D. & Nik, Vahid M. & Wickramasinghe, P.U. & Scartezzini, Jean-Louis, 2019. "Redefining energy system flexibility for distributed energy system design," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 253(C), pages 1-1.
    8. Kaiyun Xue & Yafeng Nie & Yue Wang & Zhen Hu, 2022. "Number of Births and Later-Life Depression in Older Adults: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-13, September.
    9. Daria A. Kashtanova & Anastasiia N. Taraskina & Veronika V. Erema & Anna A. Akopyan & Mikhail V. Ivanov & Irina D. Strazhesko & Alexandra I. Akinshina & Vladimir S. Yudin & Valentin V. Makarov & Serge, 2022. "Analyzing Successful Aging and Longevity: Risk Factors and Health Promoters in 2020 Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-22, July.
    10. Gore, Christopher D. & Brass, Jennifer N. & Baldwin, Elizabeth & MacLean, Lauren M., 2019. "Political autonomy and resistance in electricity sector liberalization in Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 193-209.
    11. Katherine Keenan & Emily Grundy, 2019. "Fertility History and Physical and Mental Health Changes in European Older Adults," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(3), pages 459-485, July.
    12. Moghaddam, Mahboobeh & Pearce, Robin H. & Mokhtar, Hamid & Prato, Carlo G., 2020. "A generalised model for container drayage operations with heterogeneous fleet, multi-container sizes and two modes of operation," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    13. Nagasawa, Kazunori & Davidson, F. Todd & Lloyd, Alan C. & Webber, Michael E., 2019. "Impacts of renewable hydrogen production from wind energy in electricity markets on potential hydrogen demand for light-duty vehicles," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C), pages 1001-1016.
    14. Sanna ReadPhD & Adelina Comas-Herrera & Emily Grundy & Marcus Schafer, 2020. "Social Isolation and Memory Decline in Later-life," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 75(2), pages 367-376.

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