Table 1.
Demographic information of the caregivers and the persons with dementia, and the association with caregiver depression in simple logistic regression (n = 394)
| variable | n (%) | or (95% ci)a | p valuea |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARIABLES RELATED TO CAREGIVERS | |||
| Age, mean (SD) | 53.0 (10.7) | 1.02 (1.00–1.03) | 0.105 |
| Female gender | 236 (59.9) | 1.22 (0.81–1.83) | 0.344 |
| Ethnic | 0.291 | ||
| Chinese | 341 (86.6) | Ref. | |
| Malay | 25 (6.3) | 2.00 (0.87–4.59) | |
| Indian | 18 (4.6) | 1.67 (0.64–4.33) | |
| Others | 10 (2.5) | 1.34 (0.38–4.70) | |
| Marital status | 0.420 | ||
| Married | 271 (68.8) | Ref. | |
| Single | 94 (23.9) | 0.85 (0.53–1.37) | |
| Widowed/divorced/separated | 29 (7.3) | 0.61 (0.27–1.35) | |
| Employment status | 0.031 | ||
| Not working | 123 (31.2) | Ref. | |
| Working part-time | 52 (13.2) | 0.89 (0.47–1.71) | |
| Working full-time | 219 (55.6) | 0.57 (0.36–0.88) | |
| Highest education | 0.005 | ||
| Primary or no formal education | 41 (10.4) | Ref. | |
| Secondary | 228 (57.9) | 0.85 (0.44–1.65) | |
| Tertiary | 125 (31.7) | 0.42 (0.21–0.86) | |
| Relationship with PWD | 0.002 | ||
| Child | 340 (86.3) | Ref. | |
| Spouse | 54 (13.7) | 2.60 (1.43–4.73) | |
| Staying with PWD | 264 (67.0) | 1.33 (0.87–2.03) | 0.191 |
| Duration of caregiving in years, mean (SD) | 6.8 (6.7) | 0.99 (0.96–1.02) | 0.373 |
| Frequency of caregiving | 0.231 | ||
| Daily, for at least 4 hours a day | 211 (53.6) | Ref. | |
| Daily, but less than 4 hours a day | 79 (20.0) | 0.74 (0.44–1.24) | |
| At least once a week | 84 (21.3) | 0.60 (0.36–1.01) | |
| Less than once a week | 20 (5.1) | 0.69 (0.27–1.74) | |
| Primary caregiver role | 279 (70.8) | 1.69 (1.08–2.65) | 0.021 |
| VARIABLES RELATED TO PWD | |||
| Age, mean (SD) | 79.5 (8.2) | 0.98 (0.95–1.00) | 0.079 |
| Female gender | 278 (70.6) | 0.85 (0.55–1.32) | 0.479 |
| Age at dementia diagnosis, mean (SD) | 75.6 (8.5) | 0.99 (0.96–1.01) | 0.215 |
| Duration of dementia diagnosis in years, mean (SD) | 4.5 (3.5) | 0.97 (0.92–1.03) | 0.278 |
| Stage of dementia b | 0.087 | ||
| Mild | 62 (15.7) | Ref. | |
| Moderate | 163 (41.4) | 1.18 (0.65–2.16) | |
| Severe | 169(42.9) | 1.76 (0.97–3.19) | |
| Severe behavioral problem c | 22 (5.6) | 3.53 (1.35–9.23) | 0.010 |
OR, odds ratio; 95% CI, 95% confidence interval; SD, standard deviation; PWD, persons with dementia; ref., reference group in logistic regression.
Derived from simple logistic regression with CES-D≥16 as the dependent variable. Bold-faced p values are ≤0.20.
We obtained a brief measure of the stage of dementia using the three dementia severities described in the revised third edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R). From the three options, participants chose the description that best described the PWD – still capable of independent living (mild stage), needs some assistance with daily living (moderate stage), or needs round-the-clock supervision (severe stage).
The presence of severe behavioral problem was indirectly measured through the need for admission to a geriatric psychiatry ward, indicating a behavioral problem that was too severe to be managed in the community setting.