Table 1.
Gender Differences in Use of Formal Services and Informal Support and Characteristics of Caregivers
| Males (n = 165) | Female (n = 555) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use of formal services | |||
| In-home services, mean (SD) | 1.06 (1.17) | 0.83 (1.06) | .01 |
| Transportation, % | 12.7 | 21.6 | .01 |
| Day care services, % | 20.6 | 28.1 | .06 |
| Support group services, % | 8.8 | 10.4 | .58 |
| Use of Informal support, mean (SD) | 10.7 (6.3) | 13.9 (6.6) | .00 |
| Religiousness | |||
| Frequency of service attendance, mean (SD) | 3.2 (1.7) | 3.8 (1.5) | .01 |
| Frequency of prayer, mean (SD | 5.3 (1.3) | 5.6 (1.1) | .02 |
| Importance of religion, mean (SD) | 3.4 (0.9) | 3.6 (0.8) | .01 |
| Sociodemographic characteristics | |||
| Age in years, mean (SD) | 72.8 (14.8) | 67.2 (12.7) | .01 |
| Spouse of care recipient, % | 60.0 | 42.1 | .01 |
| Education, mean (SD) | 11.2 (3.3) | 10.3 (3.7) | .01 |
| Yearly household incomea, mean (SD) | 4.6 (2.2) | 4.1 (2.3) | .03 |
| African American, % | 32.7 | 43.4 | .02 |
| Context of caregiving | |||
| Years taking care of care recipient, mean (SD) | 4.3 (4.1) | 4.1 (3.6) | .50 |
| CG general health, mean (SD) | 3.0 (1.1) | 2.89 (1.0) | .12 |
| CR needed ADL/IADL help, mean (SD) | 11.1 (2.6) | 11.1 (2.3) | .85 |
| CG provided ADL/IADL help, mean (SD) | 12.4 (2.0) | 12.9 (2.1) | .24 |
| CR MMSE, mean (SD) | 11.1 (7.5) | 12.2 (7.3) | .12 |
Note: SD = standard deviation; CG = caregiver; CR, care recipient; ADL, activities of daily living; IADL, instrumental activities of daily living; MMSE, Mini Mental State Exam.
a
4.6 indicates a yearly income of approximately $35,000; 4.1 indicates a yearly income around $30,000.