title: Correlates of caregiver burden for Korean elders according to cognitive and functional status.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Caregiver strain was investigated in a community sample of Korean elders with cohabiting caregivers, and factors associated with this were compared between groups classified by cognitive and functional impairment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample consisted of 484 elders and their cohabiting caregivers resident in Kwangju, South Korea. Caregiver burden was measured by the Zarit Burden Interview. Data on the elders' socio-demographics (age, gender, education, and religion) and clinical characteristics (cognitive function (MMSE), activities of daily living (IADL), depressive symptoms, alcoholism, and physical illness), and caregivers' socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, education, relation to elders, and current employment) and caregiving environments (living area, alternative caregiver, number of rooms, monthly income, and social network) were gathered. Participants were classified into those with (n=61) or without cognitive impairment. The second group was classified into those with (n=68) or without (n=355) functional impairment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Caregiver strain was significantly associated with cognitive impairment. In the group without cognitive impairment, caregiver strain was significantly associated with participant characteristics (IADL impairment, and symptoms of depression and alcoholism). In those with cognitive impairment, caregiver strain was associated with both participant status (depressive symptoms and IADL impairment) and caregiver characteristics (a child caregiver, lower social support, and urban environment).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individual mental and physical health characteristics predict caregiver strain regardless of cognitive impairment. Caregiver characteristics are most important in the presence of cognitive impairment.
authors.affiliation: Center for Dementia and Degenerative Brain Disease, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Chonnam, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Kyung-Lyul
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Su-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Il-Seon
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Hee-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jin-Sang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000451:nursing; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000451:nursing; D004522:Educational Status; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors