title: Does caring for your spouse harm one's health? Evidence from a United States nationally-representative sample of older adults.
abstract: The purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between spousal care-giving and declines in functioning and self-rated health among older care-givers. The authors used data from the 2000 and 2002 waves of the United States Health and Retirement Study, a biennial longitudinal survey of a nationally representative cohort of adults aged 50 or more years. Two outcomes were examined, declines in functioning and declines in self-rated health. Care-givers were classified into three groups: no care-giving, less than 14 hours of care-giving per week, and 14 or more hours care-giving per week. To assess declines in functioning, two summary scores were created of limitations in basic and instrumental Activities of Daily Living. To assess declines in self-rated health, we compared responses from 2000 and 2002. In the fully adjusted models, care-giving hours did not have an independent effect on declines in functioning or self-rated health. The relationship between care-giving hours and declines in functioning and self-rated health is probably attributable to socio-demographic characteristics, mainly age. The findings suggest that spousal care-giving does not of itself harm functional health or perceived health among older adult care-givers. Understanding the differential effects of these socio-economic characteristics with care-giving hours on health will be useful in promoting the health of older adult care-givers and treating their disorders.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Research, University of Michigan, USA ; Addiction Research Center, University of Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Kristi Rahrig
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.affiliation: Division of General Medicine, University of Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Mohammed U
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Kabeto
authors.affiliation: Division of General Medicine, University of Michigan, USA ; Center for Practice Management and Outcomes Research, Department of Veterans Affairs, University of Michigan, USA ; Institute of Social Research, University of Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Langa
keywords: care-giving; decline; older adults; self-rated health; spousal care