title: Positive Aspects of Family Caregiving for Dementia: Differential Item Functioning by Race.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Due to increasing interest in the positive experiences associated with family caregiving, potential demographic group differences were examined on the Positive Aspects of Caregiving (PAC) scale at both the item and scale levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Family caregivers (N = 642) completed the PAC as part of their participation in the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health (REACH II) clinical trial. Multiple indicators, multiple causes models were used to examine potential differential item functioning (DIF) across demographic subgroups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall PAC scale scores indicated that both Hispanics and African Americans experienced more PAC than Whites. Two items with statistically significant (p < .004) and practically meaningful (odds ratio > 2.0) DIF were found for African American caregivers. After controlling for the underlying unidimensional construct, African Americans reported that caregiving gave them "a more positive attitude toward life" and enabled them to "appreciate life more" than either Whites or Hispanics. No instances of meaningful DIF were found between Hispanics and Whites, women and men, or spouses and nonspouses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PAC scores differ significantly by race. In addition, 2 items with meaningful race DIF identify content areas that are particularly relevant to the cultural experiences of African American caregivers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. droth@jhu.edu.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Peggye
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dilworth-Anderson
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Alden L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.affiliation: Department of Community-Public Health, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Laura N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Gitlin
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D001290:Attitude; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People
keywords: Caregiving; Dementia; Differential item functioning (DIF); Measurement; Minority and diverse populations