Dementia Caregiving Experiences and Health Across Geographic Contexts by Race and Ethnicity
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Few studies have examined how the intersectionality of geographic context and race/ethnicity influences dementia caregiving. Our objectives were to determine whether caregiver experiences and health (a) differed across metro and nonmetro areas and (b) differed by caregiver race/ethnicity and geography. METHODS: We used data from the 2017 National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving. The sample included caregivers (n = 808) of care recipients ages 65 and older with "probable" dementia (n = 482). The geographic context was defined as the care recipient's residence in metro or nonmetro counties. Outcomes included caregiving experiences (care situation, burden, and gains) and health (self-rated anxiety, depression symptoms, and chronic health conditions). RESULTS: Bivariate analyses indicated that nonmetro dementia caregivers were less racially/ethnically diverse (82.7% White, non-Hispanic) and more were spouses/partners (20.2%) than their metro counterparts (66.6% White, non-Hispanic; 13.3% spouses/partners). Among racial/ethnic minority dementia caregivers, nonmetro context was associated with more chronic conditions (p < .01), providing less care (p < .01), and not coresiding with care recipients (p < .001). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that nonmetro minority dementia caregivers had 3.11 times higher odds (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11-9.00) of reporting anxiety in comparison to metro minority dementia caregivers. DISCUSSION: Geographic context shapes dementia caregiving experiences and caregiver health differently across racial/ethnic groups. Findings are consistent with previous studies that have shown that feelings of uncertainty, helplessness, guilt, and distress are more prevalent among people providing caregiving from a distance. Despite higher rates of dementia and dementia-related mortality in nonmetro areas, findings suggest both positive and negative aspects of caregiving among White and racial/ethnic minority caregivers.
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: Trends and Dynamics in Caregiving for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: Extending the National Study of Caregiving, Caregiving for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Enhancing the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC), G3064946808, G5017102051, G5478376116, The prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed Alzheimer's disease and related dementias among Arab Americans, Training in the Demography and Economics of Aging, MI Center for Contextual Factors in Alzheimer's Disease (MCCFAD) Yrs 6-10, The National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving
OpenAlex ID: W4324017792