Childbearing Histories and Cognitive Health: Does Age or Cohort Moderate the Association?

• In Event: 50210 - Health Inequalities Across the Life Course

Abstract

Prior research suggests that childbearing histories, including age at first birth and parity, are linked to cognitive functioning in mid- and later life. However, whether these associations vary across birth cohorts remains unclear. This study examines whether the relationship between childbearing histories and cognitive functioning differs across six cohorts from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), spanning the Greatest Generation (born 1890–1923) to Mid Baby Boomers (1954–1959). Using OLS regression with interaction terms, we assess whether the cognitive effects of adolescent births, nulliparity, and high parity are stable or conditional on age and cohort. Findings indicate that adolescent births and high parity are associated with lower cognitive scores, but these associations remain relatively stable across ages and cohorts. Despite major social, demographic, and economic changes over the 20th century, the impact of childbearing histories on later-life cognitive health appears robust rather than cohort- or age-specific. These results highlight the enduring influence of reproductive histories on cognitive trajectories, suggesting that life course mechanisms linking childbearing and cognition persist across generations. Future research should explore underlying mechanisms and broader contextual factors shaping these associations.

Authors

• Mieke Beth Thomeer, The University of Alabama at Birmingham

• Joseph D. Wolfe, The University of Alabama at Birmingham

• Dee Ferguson, The University of Alabama at Birmingham