Table 3 .
Health conditions and health status of caregivers of adults with neurological conditions (n = 1067)*
| (% unless otherwise indicated) | SCI (n = 51) | ALL (n = 1016) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health conditions/disease (%) | |||
| Obese† | 43.14 | 27.85 | 0.03 |
| Myocardial infarction | 12.00 | 6.22 | 0.11 |
| Asthma (ever) | 11.76 | 12.70 | 0.85 |
| Diabetes | 11.76 | 9.45 | 0.58 |
| Coronary heart disease | 11.76 | 5.51 | 0.06 |
| Cancer (ever)‡ | 6.98 | 16.79 | 0.09 |
| Stroke | 3.92 | 3.44 | 0.86 |
| Health status | |||
| General health | 0.06 | ||
| Excellent | 27.45 | 18.75 | |
| Very good | 19.61 | 37.10 | |
| Good | 25.49 | 27.18 | |
| Fair | 21.57 | 13.00 | |
| Poor | 5.88 | 3.97 | |
| Physical health | |||
| Days physical health not good in past month mean, median (range), S.D. | 5.75, 0.00 (0.00–30.00) 9.85 | 3.76, 0.00 (0.00–30.00) 8.01 | 0.16 |
| Frequent physical distress (≥14 days in past month that physical health was not good)§ | 19.61 | 11.61 | 0.09 |
| Mental health | |||
| Days mental health not good in past month mean, median (range), S.D. | 5.16, 0.00 (0.00–30.00) 8.56 | 4.07, 0.00 (0.00–30.00) 8.40 | 0.37 |
| Frequent mental distress (≥14 days in past month that mental health was not good)¶ | 17.65 | 12.60 | 0.29 |
| Sleep characteristics | |||
| Days not enough sleep in past month mean, median (range), S.D. | 12.84, 10.00 (0.00–30.00) 11.48 | 8.89, 4.00 (0.00–30.00) 10.38 | 0.008 |
| Frequent insufficient sleep (≥14 days in past month that did not get enough sleep)** | 47.06 | 29.55 | 0.008 |
*Item response for all items 81% or better
†Respondents classified as overweight based on body mass index (25.00 ≤ BMI < 30.00) and obese based on body mass index (30.00 ≤ BMI)
‡Smaller sample because 2010 survey included as CORE question (whereas 2009 was optional module)
§Frequent physical distress was defined on the basis of participants’ response to the question, ‘Now thinking about your physical health, which includes physical illness and injury, for how many days during the past 30 days was your physical health not good?’ A response of ≥14 days in the past 30 indicates frequent physical distress.
¶Frequent mental distress was defined on the basis of participants’ response to the question, ‘Now thinking about your mental health, which includes stress, depression, and problems with emotions, for how many days during the past 30 days was your mental health not good?’ A response of ≥14 days in the past 30 indicates frequent mental distress.
**Frequent insufficient sleep was defined on the basis of participants’ response to the question, ‘During the past 30 days, for about how many days have you felt you did not get enough rest or sleep?’ A response of ≥14 days of insufficient sleep in past 30 indicates frequent insufficient sleep. Source: Wheaton et al. BMC Public Health 2011, 11:295.
Source: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Louisiana, and New Hampshire participated in the CDC BRFSS 2009/2010 optional caregiver modules.