Childbearing Status, Parity, and Cognitive Health at Midlife: A Longitudinal Approach
2024
Childbearing and Cognitive Health at Midlife
Sample size: 2257
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Thomeer Mieke, Wolfe Joseph, Reczek Rin, Ferguson Dee, Cao Rui
Primary Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Hypothesis
How do childbearing histories affect cognitive health outcomes at midlife?
Conclusion
Childbearing status and age at first birth are linked to memory performance at age 48.
Supporting Evidence
- Childbearing histories impact health outcomes throughout life.
- Childbearing may influence cognitive health in mid- and later life.
- Factors like socioeconomic background and health issues affect both childbearing and cognitive health.
Takeaway
Having children can affect how well you remember things when you get older.
Methodology
Analysis of the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79) dataset.
Potential Biases
Potential biases due to socioeconomic background and health issues.
Limitations
Previous research was limited in accounting for selection factors.
Participant Demographics
Women from the US, starting data collection in their late teens and early 20s.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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