TY - JOUR
T1 - Becoming an older caregiver: A study of gender differences in family caregiving at the end of life.
AU - Spatuzzi, Roberta
AU - Giulietti, Maria Velia
AU - Romito, Francesca
AU - Reggiardo, Giorgio
AU - Genovese, Carmela
AU - Passarella, Michele
AU - Raucci, Letizia
AU - Ricciuti, Marcello
AU - Merico, Fabiana
AU - Rosati, Gerardo
AU - Attademo, Luigi
AU - Vespa, Anna
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s),. Published by Cambridge University Press.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Objectives Older people are not traditionally expected to become caregivers. For this reason, the experience of caregiving in older persons has not been explored adequately in the research on gender differences. The objective of this study was to assess the caregiver burden among older family members who care for cancer patients facing the end of their lives, in order to compare their differences according to gender (male vs. female). Methods This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 102 older caregivers (aged ≥65 years) of hospice patients were interviewed through the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI). The sample group was divided into two gender subgroups. Results Compared with male caregivers, the older female group reported significantly higher scores in the CBI-physical subscale (P = 0.028), and in the CBI, the overall score (P = 0.0399) confirmed by the generalized linear model (multivariate) evaluation that included possible predictors in the model. There were no significant differences in the other CBI subscale scores (time-dependent, developmental, social, and emotional). Significance of results Older female caregivers are at higher risk of experiencing burden and worse physical health compared with men. Further research is needed in modern palliative care to assess the role of gender differences in the experience of caregiving when the caregiver is an older person.
AB - Objectives Older people are not traditionally expected to become caregivers. For this reason, the experience of caregiving in older persons has not been explored adequately in the research on gender differences. The objective of this study was to assess the caregiver burden among older family members who care for cancer patients facing the end of their lives, in order to compare their differences according to gender (male vs. female). Methods This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 102 older caregivers (aged ≥65 years) of hospice patients were interviewed through the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI). The sample group was divided into two gender subgroups. Results Compared with male caregivers, the older female group reported significantly higher scores in the CBI-physical subscale (P = 0.028), and in the CBI, the overall score (P = 0.0399) confirmed by the generalized linear model (multivariate) evaluation that included possible predictors in the model. There were no significant differences in the other CBI subscale scores (time-dependent, developmental, social, and emotional). Significance of results Older female caregivers are at higher risk of experiencing burden and worse physical health compared with men. Further research is needed in modern palliative care to assess the role of gender differences in the experience of caregiving when the caregiver is an older person.
KW - Burden
KW - Cancer
KW - Gender
KW - Older caregiver
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U2 - 10.1017/S1478951521000274
DO - 10.1017/S1478951521000274
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85102803760
JO - Palliative and Supportive Care
JF - Palliative and Supportive Care
SN - 1478-9515
ER -