Racial and ethnic variations in caregiver service use.
OBJECTIVE
This article examines whether race and ethnicity contribute to the differential use of caregiver support services, when controlling for caregiver and care recipient characteristics, as represented by predisposing, enabling, and need factors included in the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use.


METHODS
The study includes 1,508 individuals who provide care to an ill or disabled adult aged 50 or older, identified through a random digit dial telephone survey of California households. Logistic regression analysis is utilized to examine factors that predict use of caregiver support services.


RESULTS
Race and ethnicity do not contribute significantly to caregiver service utilization, when controlling for relevant covarying factors such as age, education, emotional support, family contribution, care recipient service use, and care recipient impairment. A significant interaction exists between ethnicity and family closeness, with reduced rates of service use among Asian and Pacific Island caregivers whose families are brought closer by the caregiving experience.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that racial and ethnic disparities in caregiver service use found at the bivariate level are attributable to covarying predisposing, enabling, and need factors. Further research and theoretical development are suggested to clarify the impact of sociocultural factors on caregiver service use.
Scharlach
Andrew E
AE
University of California at Berkeley, USA.
Giunta
Nancy
N
Chow
Julian Chun-Chung
JC
Lehning
Amanda
A
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*