Cognitive vulnerability and social support among aging women caregivers

< .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.