title: Health status, health behaviours and anxiety symptoms of older male caregivers: Findings from the Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore differences between older male caregivers and non-caregivers on health status, health behaviours and well-being, including symptoms of anxiety.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected through self-completed questionnaires and face-to-face interviews with 1705 community living men aged ≥70 in the Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven per cent of older men were caregivers, of whom 81.7% were looking after their wives or partners. Older male caregivers did not have worse physical health or more depressive symptoms than non-caregivers, but being a caregiver was associated with increased likelihood of reporting anxiety symptoms (OR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.39-3.87). Caregivers had similar levels and frequencies of leisure activities but did more housework activities than non-caregivers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher anxiety levels were the main adverse health condition in older male caregivers. Strategies to assist minimising anxiety for caregivers should be a target of interventions.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, Concord Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Chen-Chun
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Cumming
authors.affiliation: Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, Concord Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|College of Medicine, Australian National University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Hal L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Kendig
authors.affiliation: Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, Concord Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Fiona M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Blyth
authors.affiliation: Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, Concord Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Louise M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Waite
authors.affiliation: Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, Concord Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|ANZAC Research Institute, Concord Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Le Couteur
authors.affiliation: ANZAC Research Institute, Concord Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Handelsman
authors.affiliation: Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, Concord Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Vasi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Naganathan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012944:Social Support
keywords: anxiety; caregivers; health status; male; social support