Psychosocial and cognitive health differences by caregiver status among older Mexican Americans.
This study identifies the risk and protective factors associated with informal caregiving by older (≥70 years) Mexican Americans and profiles caregiving arrangements. Overall, a greater number of informal caregivers (n = 92) were married and female. They also had higher physical functioning and better cognition than non-caregivers (n = 1,888) but fewer visited a physician regularly. Informal caregivers also showed an increased risk of depressive symptoms. A third of caregivers spent more than 20 h/day caregiving and the majority (84%) of care recipients were family members. In order to support the efforts of this disproportionately burdened caregiver group, increased social support and healthcare services are needed.
Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. yaxche9@gmail.com
Angelica P
AP
Herrera
Carolyn A
CA
Mendez-Luck
Janice D
JD
Crist
Matthew Lee
ML
Smith
Ruth
R
Warre
Marcia G
MG
Ory
Kyriakos
K
Markides
D000069:Acculturation; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires