Table 2.
Characteristics of older persons, family caregivers, and care settings by country.
| Participant and setting characteristics | Italy (n=42) |
Sweden (n=36) |
Germany (n=16) |
Total (n=94) |
Pa value | ||
| Older person |
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
Gender (woman), n (%) | 33 (79) | 13 (36) | 11 (69) | 57 (61) | <.001 | |
|
|
Age (years), median (IQRb) | 82 (76-87) | 76 (72-82) | 82 (69-87) | 80 (74-85) | .03 | |
|
|
ADLc index, median (IQR) | 15 (11-18) | 11 (4-17) | 5 (1-8) | 13 (5-18) | <.001 | |
|
|
IADLd index, median (IQR) | 4 (2-6) | 4 (2-6) | 6 (4-6) | 4 (2-6) | .05 | |
| Family caregiver |
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
Gender (woman), n (%) | 28 (67) | 26 (72) | 10 (63) | 64 (68) | .73 | |
|
|
Age (years), median (IQR) | 53 (47-58) | 68 (57-73) | 56 (53-67) | 58 (51-69) | <.001 | |
| Relationship to the older person, n (%) |
|
|
|
|
<.001 | ||
|
|
Spouse/partner | 1 (2) | 27 (75) | 3 (19) | 31 (34) |
|
|
|
|
Child/child-in-law | 31 (74) | 7 (19) | 10 (63) | 48 (51) |
|
|
|
|
Other | 10 (24) | 2 (6) | 3 (19) | 15 (16) |
|
|
|
|
Children (yes), n (%) | 31 (74) | 30 (83) | 9 (56) | 70 (75) | .20 | |
|
|
Grandchildren (yes), n (%) | 10 (24) | 22 (61) | 2 (13) | 34 (36) | <.001 | |
| Health status, n (%) |
|
|
|
|
.11 | ||
|
|
Bad | 1 (2) | 4 (11) | 2 (13) | 7 (7) |
|
|
|
|
Fair | 13 (31) | 17 (47) | 8 (50) | 38 (40) |
|
|
|
|
Good | 28 (67) | 15 (42) | 6 (38) | 49 (52) |
|
|
| Education, n (%) |
|
|
|
|
<.001 | ||
|
|
Low | 9 (21) | 3 (8) | 2 (13) | 14 (15) |
|
|
|
|
Medium | 25 (60) | 7 (19) | 5 (31) | 37 (39) |
|
|
|
|
High | 8 (19) | 26 (72) | 9 (56) | 43 (46) |
|
|
|
|
Employment (yes), n (%) | 25 (60) | 15 (42) | 4 (25) | 44 (47) | .04 | |
| Living status (with respect to cared-for person), n (%) |
|
|
|
.002 | |||
|
|
Same household | 9 (21) | 24 (67) | 8 (50) | 41 (44) |
|
|
|
|
Within walking distance | 13 (31) | 4 (11) | 5 (31) | 22 (23) |
|
|
|
|
Beyond walking distance | 20 (48) | 8 (22) | 3 (19) | 31 (33) |
|
|
| Confidence with Internet, n (%) |
|
|
|
<.001 | |||
|
|
None/low | 10 (24) | 1 (3) | 1 (6) | 12 (13) |
|
|
|
|
Medium | 24 (57) | 8 (22) | 8 (50) | 40 (43) |
|
|
|
|
High | 8 (19) | 27 (75) | 7 (44) | 42 (45) |
|
|
| Care setting | |||||||
|
|
Informal care provided per week (hours), median (IQR) | 12 (6-24) | 32 (6-70) | 30 (9-144) | 15 (6-40) | .02 | |
|
|
Duration of caregiving period (years), median (IQR) | 3 (2-4) | 3 (2-7) | 7 (2-9) | 4 (2-5) | .09 | |
|
|
Home care (yes), n (%) | 2 (5) | 14 (39) | 6 (38) | 22 (23) | <.001 | |
|
|
Cash allowances received by older people and/or family caregivers (yes), n (%) | 22 (52) | 4 (11) | 12 (75) | 38 (40) | <.001 | |
|
|
Privately employed care assistant (yes), n (%) | 18 (43) | 11 (31) | 7 (44) | 36 (38) | .38 | |
aResults of chi-square or Kruskal-Wallis tests for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Sum of percentages may not be 100% because of rounding.
bIQR: interquartile range.
cADL: activities of daily living.
dIADL: instrumental activities of daily living.