Table 3.
Associations between individual characteristics and perceived choice in providing informal care (n = 798)
| Variable | ‘Free‐choice’ carers (n = 260) | ‘Constrained choice’ carers (n = 389) | ‘Unfree’ carers (n = 149) | Signif. (p‐value) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socio‐demographic characteristics | ||||
| Age (%65 + ) | 24.4% | 19.3% | 19.9% | 0.46 |
| Sex (% female) | 64.6% | 52.9% | 66.0% | 0.75 |
| Health status (% bad) | 9.7% | 14.3% | 17.6% | 0.03 |
| Ethnicity (% BME) | 3.5% | 9.7% | 6.4% | 0.12 |
| Religious (% yes) | 68.1% | 71.0% | 64.7% | 0.52 |
| Qualifications (% yes) | 76.6% | 78.5% | 77.0% | 0.87 |
| Means tested benefit (% yes) | 15.9% | 19.7% | 24.6% | 0.05 |
| Employed full‐time (% yes) | 32.7% | 30.3% | 32.1% | 0.82 |
| Home ownership (% yes) | 77.3% | 76.0% | 76.1% | 0.98 |
| Care‐related characteristics | ||||
| Hours of care per week (% >50 hours) | 7.7% | 23.2% | 35.8% | <0.01 |
| Caring role (% main carer) | 17.9% | 46.5% | 65.0% | <0.01 |
| Personal care (% providing) | 15.6% | 29.2% | 41.0% | <0.01 |
| Care recipient health (% bad/very bad) | 28.8% | 34.8% | 53.5% | <0.01 |
| Care recipient age (% over 65) | 68.6% | 70.0% | 59.6% | 0.53 |
Significance of associations calculated using Kruskal–Wallis test.