Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, Vol 50, Issue 2 S110-S118, Copyright © 1995 by The Gerontological Society of America

ARTICLES

Burden among white and black caregivers to elderly adults

L Fredman, MP Daly and AM Lazur
Department of Family Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, USA.

Racial differences in caregiver burden were evaluated among 1,062 White and 159 Black caregivers from the 1982 National Long-term Care Survey and its supplement, the National Survey of Informal Caregivers. Black caregivers performed more caregiving activities and cared for persons with greater functional and cognitive impairment. However, White caregivers reported significantly more burden in linear regression analyses, controlling for covariates. Results of separate, race- specific regression models showed that caregiver demographics (being female, spouse of the care recipient, and poorer self-rated health), caregiving activities (helps with ADLs, extra time spent caregiving, unable to leave care recipient alone), and care recipient needs (IADL limitations, cognitive impairment or proxy interview, recent hospitalization) were significantly associated with burden among White caregivers. When this model was replicated in Black caregivers, the only statistically significant variables were poorer self-rated health, caregiving activities (helps with ADLs, extra time caregiving, unable to leave care recipient alone), and cognitive impairment of the care recipient. These results underscore the importance of caregiving activities in assessments of burden among White and Black caregivers.

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