Quality of Life and Anxiety Levels in Latin American Immigrants as Caregivers of Older Adults in Spain

Abstract

Increased life expectancy in Spain has highlighted the need for formal caregivers who care for older adults who live at home. In many cases, families choose to hire immigrants from Latin America who, on many occasions, have been forced to emigrate, which causes a considerable psychological impact on them. To this, other factors such as precarious working conditions, loneliness, or high workload are added, which leads to many caregivers becoming sick. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life and the level of anxiety derived from the workload of Latin American immigrants who come to Spain to care for older adults. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out using two validated questionnaires to measure this relationship. A correlation was also established between quality of life and anxiety as expressed by the participants. The sample consisted of a total of 426 subjects. One of the main results showed that the lower the caregiver’s quality of life, the higher their level of anxiety (OR = 1.06; 95% CI). Live-in caregivers had a lower quality of life than people who did not live in the same house as the cared-for person (OR = 2.22; 95% CI). Working long hours and having a high workload was associated with poorer quality of life and higher levels of anxiety. Assessing immigrants who are formal caregivers and providing them with the support that helps to improve their quality of life is suggested to reduce the occurrence of anxiety disorders.

Factors Affecting Diasporic Women’s Quality of Life: A Systematic Review

“…Insomnia 3. Depression 9 Fernández-Carrasco et al (2022) 32 Spain 1. WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment 2.…”

“…Studies have shown that migrant women with high language proficiency have better emotional health, with lower levels of psychological well-being, acculturation stress, and anxiety, as they are less likely to feel lonely and better able to integrate into society. 24 , 25 , 29 , 30 , 32 This is because it affects acculturation stress and psychological well-being, 4 loneliness, 24 sadness and health, 28 mental health, 29 and emotions. 31 This is interpreted as empathy and interaction-based communication based on language skills.…”

“…Diasporic women’s quality of life is influenced by their average monthly household income. 24 , 29 , 32 Income is a combination of socioeconomic characteristics and immigrant status that shapes environmental health. 36 Age has been shown to correlate with acculturative stress and psychological well-being in diasporic women, 24 and gender has been shown to influence acculturation.…”

Assessment of frailty, daily life activities, and nutrition of elderly immigrants: A household based cross-sectional study

“…According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s World Migration Report published in 2020, there were estimated to be over 270 million international migrants in 2020, equivalent to about 3.5% of the world’s population. [26] In Türkiye, approximately 3.5 million Syrians primarily reside in border provinces, accounting for 3.73% of the country’s population. [27] Among Syrian migrants, 2.1% fall within the 65 years and older age group.…”

“…Additionally, they must cope with cultural and economic challenges in adapting to the country they had to migrate to, including language barriers, limited access to healthcare, and psychosocial issues. [26,35] Studies have shown that all these challenges and problems faced by immigrants have a negative impact on their health and quality of life. [36] Therefore, it is essential to implement policies and interventions that mitigate the adverse effects of chronic diseases and psychological and social situations related to migration, allowing elderly immigrants to age healthily and independently.…”