Table 3.
Differences in spouse caregivers’ characteristics (unadjusted) between health profiles (t-tests/χ2).
| Variable | Profile 1: Better Health (n =149 pre-death) | Profile 2: Poorer Health (n = 49 pre-death) | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years (mean ± SD; sample range 36–90) | 66.29 ± 11.44 | 62.51 ± 9.75 | 0.039 |
| Gender (% female) | 94 (64%) | 28 (58%) | 0.300 |
| Race/Ethnicity (% non-Hispanic white) | 5 (3%) | 2 (4%) | 0.813 |
| Education level (mean ± SD; sample range 2–7) | 4.73 ± 1.42 | 4.39 ± 1.48 | 0.144 |
| Income (mean ± SD; sample range 1–7) | 4.84 ± 1.57 | 4.00 ± 1.73 | 0.002 |
| Preparedness for caregiving (sample range .33 – 4) | 2.79 ± 0.66 | 2.33 ± 0.61 | <0.001 |
| Spousal relationship strain (sample range 1 – 6) | 2.19 ± 1.30 | 2.92 ± 1.51 | 0.002 |
| Constriction of social life (sample range 1 – 5) | 1.72 ± 0.69 | 2.25 ± 0.84 | <0.001 |
| Active coping (sample range 9 – 21) | 18.51 ± 2.31 | 14.69 ± 2.83 | <0.001 |
| PG-13 post-death max score (sample range 12–52)* | 25.02 ± 8.78 | 34.00 ± 8.02 | <0.001 |
sample size for the post-death PG-13 prolonged grief symptoms variable was n = 81.