Cognitive vulnerability and social support among aging women caregivers.

Abstract

This 15-year longitudinal study examined the association between family caregiving and cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults in South Korea, focusing on gender differences and the moderating role of social support. Using data from 6,481 participants in the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (2006-2020), cognitive function was assessed with the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE). Family caregiving experience was defined as reporting caregiving in at least two survey waves between 2006 and 2020. Repeated caregiving exposure was associated with lower cognitive performance in later life, independent of baseline characteristics. Women caregivers showed significantly lower cognitive performance (β = -1.06, p < .001), roughly equivalent to two to three years of age-related decline, while higher education and more frequent social interactions mitigated these effects. Social support, measured by the frequency of meetings with friends or neighbors, moderated the caregiving-cognition association, suggesting a protective gradient. These findings highlight the cumulative cognitive burden associated with repeated caregiving involvement and underscore the need for gender- and age-sensitive interventions. Promoting sustained social engagement may represent a viable strategy to protect caregivers' cognitive health in rapidly aging societies.