Limitations in representative sampling of unpaid caregivers from minority ethnocultural backgrounds in a population-based survey

Abstract

Objective Historically, persons from minority ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds have been un- or under-represented in population-based research studies. Emerging scholarship suggests challenges in representative sampling, particularly of minority ethnocultural groups, has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This research note offers additional insights concerning these challenges in the context of a population-based survey of unpaid caregivers conducted in Ontario, Canada, between August and December, 2020, the analysis of which is currently underway. Results Beyond limitations intrinsic to study design, including time and budget constraints, the study sample underrepresents unpaid caregivers from minority ethnocultural backgrounds due to differences in conceptions of caregiving across minority cultures, the time-consuming nature of caregiving that disproportionately affects minority groups, and a propensity to avoid research which is rooted in tokenism. These hypotheses are non-exhaustive, speculative and warrant further empirical investigation.

The Financial Risks of Unpaid Caregiving During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results From a Self-reported Survey in a Canadian Jurisdiction

“… 43 , 54 Further, our sample is not wholly representative of the ethnocultural heterogeneity of caregivers in Ontario, reasons for which we speculate elsewhere. 55 Specifically, our sample represents caregivers who spoke English, had the time to complete an online survey, had access to internet, and self-identified as a “caregiver” per recruitment material. Accordingly, our findings may underestimate the true financial burden of caregiving across the diverse spectrum of caregivers in Ontario.…”