A Biological Embodiment of Caregiving: Caregiving Transition Patterns and Gender Differences in Epigenetic Aging

This study examines whether caregiving transition patterns are associated with epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) utilizing the 2012-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 3,153). We identified five caregiving transition patterns: initiating moderate- or high-intensity care, ceasing care, and sustaining moderate- or high-intensity care. Initiating high-intensity care was linked to EAA, while ceasing care was associated with decelerated epigenetic aging. Across the 13 DNAm clocks, associations were selective rather than uniform, with the most robust associations observed for GrimAge, Zhang, and Vidal-Bralo. Initiating high-intensity care and ceasing care were associated with EAA on the three clocks. These associations differed by gender. Among men, initiating high-intensity care and ceasing care were associated with accelerated and decelerated epigenetic aging, respectively. Among women, sustaining medium-intensity caregiving was associated with decelerated epigenetic aging. These findings reveal that the biological embodiment of caregiving varies by transition type, intensity, and gender.