Table 1.
Characteristics of women veteran caregivers and noncaregivers (N = 1,457)
| Respondent characteristics | Caregivers (n = 243) | Noncaregivers (n = 1,214) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years, M (SD) | 53.8 (12.7) | 51.2 (16.4) | 0.021 |
| Race/ethnicity, n (%) | |||
| African American | 76 (31.5) | 316 (26.3) | 0.092 |
| Hispanic/Latina | 44 (18.3) | 266 (22.1) | 0.185 |
| White/Caucasian | 120 (49.8) | 588 (48.8) | 0.787 |
| Asian or Asian American | 13 (5.4) | 66 (5.5) | 0.956 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 6 (2.5) | 19 (1.6) | 0.322 |
| American Indian/Alaskan Native | 14 (5.8) | 46 (3.8) | 0.158 |
| Other | 9 (3.8) | 48 (4.0) | 0.862 |
| Employment status, n (%) | |||
| Employed for wages | 96 (39.8) | 472 (39.1) | 0.840 |
| Unable to work | 46 (19.2) | 226 (18.7) | 0.877 |
| Unemployed | 46 (19.1) | 198 (16.4) | 0.312 |
| Retired | 69 (28.6) | 308 (25.5) | 0.318 |
| Student | 28 (11.6) | 160 (13.3) | 0.487 |
| Homemaker | 27 (11.2) | 87 (7.21) | 0.036 |
| Marital status, n (%) | |||
| Married or living as married | 82 (34.0) | 359 (29.8) | 0.198 |
| Divorced | 77 (32.0) | 383 (31.8) | 0.973 |
| Separated | 12 (5.0) | 49 (4.1) | 0.523 |
| Widowed | 11 (4.6) | 91 (7.6) | 0.097 |
| Never married | 60 (24.9) | 329 (27.4) | 0.434 |
| General health, n (%) | 0.051 | ||
| Poor | 18 (7.4) | 55 (4.6) | |
| Fair | 67 (27.7) | 324 (26.9) | |
| Good | 103 (42.6) | 467 (38.8) | |
| Very good | 47 (19.4) | 285 (23.7) | |
| Excellent | 7 (2.9) | 74 (6.1) | |
| Self-reported cognitive function, n (%) | 0.081 | ||
| Poor | 24 (9.9) | 113 (9.4) | |
| Fair | 56 (23.1) | 238 (19.7) | |
| Average | 83 (34.2) | 350 (29.0) | |
| Good | 61 (25.1) | 350 (29.0) | |
| Excellent | 19 (7.8) | 155 (12.0) | |
| Pain (0–10) | 4.75 (2.9) | 4.38 (3.0) | 0.085 |
| Body mass index | 29.1 (6.8) | 27.9 (6.4) | 0.013 |
| Stress as a cause of poor sleep | 164 (67.8) | 694 (57.6) | 0.003 |
Note: n = 1,431 for body mass index; n = 1,440 for pain; n = 1,444 for age, marital status; n = 1,447 for employment status and general health; n = 1,449 for self-reported cognitive function.
Student’s t-test and chi-square test were used.