title: Association between the caregiver's burden and physical activity in community-dwelling caregivers of dementia patients.
abstract: Physical activity in the elderly has a significant influence on their health status. Studies have shown that elderly caregivers have fewer physical activities relative to non-caregivers. The present study aimed to identify factors associated with lower physical activity in elderly caregivers of demented patients. A cross-sectional survey of 50 elderly caregivers living with patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's-type dementia showed that the Zarit caregiver burden interview (ZBI) scores were significant predictors of physical activity measured by the questionnaire score (QS) of physical activities. Among the three subscales of the QS, it was only leisure time activity scores (LS) that the ZBI scores significantly predicted. The numbers of chronic diseases were associated with lower household activity scores (HS) and sport activities scores (SS). Physical activities, in particular leisure activities, were found to be inversely associated with care burden assessed by the ZBI. Interventions to increase the physical activity levels of older caregivers may improve their health status and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsuruma, Showa, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Akemi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuzuya
authors.forename: Joji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Onishi
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Nobutaro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ban
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Umegaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires