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Dementia Caregiving Experiences and Health Across Geographic Contexts by Race and Ethnicity.

Authors :
Kindratt TB
Sylvers DL
Yoshikawa A
López-Anuarbe M
Webster NJ
Bouldin ED
Source :
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences [J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci] 2023 Mar 13; Vol. 78 (Suppl 1), pp. S48-S58.
Publication Year :
2023

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.<br />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).<br />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.<br />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.<br /> (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1758-5368
Volume :
78
Issue :
Suppl 1
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
36913373
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbac182