The Caregiving Experience in a Racially Diverse Sample of Cancer Family Caregivers

Abstract

The literature supports a variety of predictor variables to account for the psychological and stress burden experienced by cancer family caregivers. Missing among the predictor variables are the differences by or influence of race/ethnicity. The purpose of this study was to describe the sample, explore differences in outcomes by patient and family caregiver characteristics, and determine if any of the patient and family characteristics, including race/ethnicity, predicted outcomes. Cross-sectional surveys were used to determine sociodemographics, psychological and physical health, and burdens of caregiving among 54 caregivers. The analysis consisted of descriptive methods, including frequencies and t tests, and regression modeling. The sample was 35% African American or Hispanic. African American and Hispanic caregivers were younger than white caregivers and more often women, were rarely the spouse of the patient, and frequently had other dependents, including children and older parents. African American and Hispanic caregivers reported lower incomes and more burden related to finances and employment than did white caregivers. When controlling for sociodemographic factors, there was no difference by race/ethnicity on the outcome measures. The experience of caregiving may supersede race/ethnicity and may be its own cultural entity. Areas of concern include the interrelationship between socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity, the absence of cultural frameworks to direct caregiver research, and the question of cultural relevance of measurement tools.

Caregiving for patients requiring left ventricular assistance device support

“…For example, caregivers of patients with multiple sclerosis reported distress related to assisting with patients' activities of daily living, assuming responsibility for coordinating healthcare resources, and providing emotional support. 17 In studies of caregivers for patients with cancer, HIV, and Alzheimer's disease, caregivers described sacrifices in their lives in relation to work, social activities, and finances 3,4,18,19 Although very few studies described caregiver experiences in the LVAD population, similar findings were reported. For example, Casida identified a theme of emotional distress characterized by guilt, fear, and anxiety.…”

“…Caregiver burden, caregiver strain, grief, and clinical depression have all been characterized as components of the caregiver experience in noncardiac patient populations, including oncology, [3][4][5] geriatric with Alzheimer's disease, 3,6,7 HIV, and other chronic diseases. 3,[8][9][10] To date, few researchers have examined the experiences of family caregivers of patients requiring LVAD support.…”

How adult children in the UK and the US view the driving cessation of their parents: Is a policy window opening?

“…In addition, the DfT wanted to focus on possible differences by race and ethnicity. This decision is generally supported by a large body of work that shows racial and ethnic differences in all aspects of caregiving to older family members even holding other variables constant (Laditka and Laditka, 2001;Ramos, 2004;Sarkisian, 2004;Sander et al, 2007;White-Means and Rubin, 2008;Herrera et al, 2008;Scharlach et al, 2008;Brown, 2008), although there are also contrasting views suggesting that racial/ethnic differences disappear after controlling for socio-economic variables (see Ball et al, 2009;Siefert et al, 2008;Brown et al, 2009).…”

The Effects of Caregiving on Women's Self-Assessed Health Status: An International Comparison

“…In all three countries, however, a moderate to high income was the next best predictor of better SAHS, an almost universal finding among health economics researchers (see Craig, 2005;Kipp et al, 2008;Macran et al, 1994;Sacker et al, 2005;Wilson, Jerret, & Eyles, 2001) where the link between income inequality and health outcomes is well established. It is only in very recent studies that the relationship between income level and caregivers' well-being is beginning to be established (Mitrani, Vaughan, McCabe, & Feaster, 2008;Papastavrou, Charalambous, & Tsangari, 2009;Siefert, Williams, Dowd, Chappel-Aiken, & McCorkle, 2008;Vellone, Piras, Talucci, & Cohen, 2008). In these studies women caregivers are more likely to be low income than their male counterparts or noncaregiving women, and older women, the most numerous group of caregivers, have the lowest income of all (Conway-Giustra et al, 2002;Kneipp, Castleman, & Gailor, 2004;Robinson, 1997).…”