Table 1.
Characteristics of informal carers and care recipients
|
Entire included population (N = 4033) |
Needed respite (N = 1079) |
Did not need respite (N = 2954) |
Test of independence p-valuee |
|
| Informal carers’ characteristics | ||||
| Health statusa % | ||||
| Very good and good | 62 | 49 | 67 | 0.000 |
| Fair, bad and very bad | 38 | 51 | 33 | |
| Income (monthly, before tax)b % | ||||
| < 1800€ | 29 | 29 | 29 | 0.721 |
| ≥ 1800€ | 71 | 71 | 71 | |
| Marital status % | ||||
| Single | 19 | 19 | 19 | 0.709 |
| Married | 66 | 66 | 65 | |
| Divorced or Widowed | 15 | 15 | 15 | |
| Mean age (SD) | 61 (14) | 63 (13) | 60 (14) | 0.000 f |
| Sex % | ||||
| Female | 61 | 67 | 59 | 0.000 |
| Male | 39 | 33 | 41 | |
| Cohabitation % | 41 | 56 | 35 | 0.000 |
| Filiation % | ||||
| Partner by marriage | 28 | 37 | 25 | 0.000 |
| Childc | 54 | 52 | 55 | |
| Family member | 13 | 10 | 14 | |
| Close acquaintance | 5 | 1 | 6 | |
| Care for other persons | 21 | 22 | 21 | 0.351 |
| Replacement in case of unavailability | 77 | 68 | 81 | 0.000 |
| Length of care provisiond % | ||||
| < 1 year | 4 | 5 | 4 | |
| 1–5 years | 38 | 37 | 39 | 0.484 |
| ≥ 5 years | 58 | 58 | 57 | |
| Duration of care provision (per month) % | ||||
| < 30 h | 45 | 20 | 54 | |
| 30 h–60 h | 17 | 16 | 17 | 0.000 |
| 60 h–150 h | 21 | 29 | 18 | |
| > 150 h | 17 | 34 | 11 | |
| HSCIg, mean (range) | 0.21(−1.5 to 5.9) | 1.7(−1.4 to 5.9) | −0.34(−1.5 to 5.9) | 0.000f |
| Stress and anxiety % | 36 | 60 | 26 | 0.000 |
| Back problems % | 24 | 43 | 16 | 0.000 |
| Physical exhaustion % | 33 | 63 | 22 | 0.000 |
| Sleep disorders % | 23 | 43 | 15 | 0.000 |
| Feeling of loneliness % | 41 | 67 | 32 | 0.000 |
| Problem of lack of time % | 35 | 79 | 18 | 0.000 |
| Need for respite % | 27 | – | – | – |
| Use of support group % | 4 | 6 | 3 | 0.000 |
| Use of training % | 11 | 20 | 8 | 0.000 |
| Care recipient characteristics | ||||
| Health statusa % | ||||
| Very good and good | 15 | 8 | 18 | |
| Fair, bad and very bad | 85 | 92 | 82 | 0.000 |
| Mean age (SD) | 81(9) | 81(10) | 81(9) | 0.09f |
| Sex % | ||||
| Female | 68 | 63 | 70 | 0.000 |
| Male | 32 | 37 | 30 | |
| Number of diseases | ||||
| One disease or less | 33 | 31 | 33 | 0.094 |
| More than one disease | 67 | 69 | 67 | |
| ALD restrictions | ||||
| At least one % | 20 | 20 | 21 | 0.792 |
| Number (0–6), mean (SD) | 0.47(1.15) | 0.47(1.17) | 0.48(1.14) | 0.937f |
| IALD restrictions | ||||
| At least one % | 68 | 67 | 69 | 0.314 |
| Number (0–7), mean (SD) | 1.8(1.9) | 1.8(1.9) | 1.8(1.7) | 0.998 |
| MHI-5, mean (SD) | 66(22) | 67(21) | 66(22) | 0.213 |
| Use of formal (professional) care | 35 | 35 | 35 | 0.983 |
Notes: SD standard deviation; a Health status: 5 categories recoded into two categories; b Income level: 5 categories recoded into two categories; c Child: recoded item as daughter or son; d Length of care provision: categories recoded into three categories; e Chi2 statistical test; f Test of the difference of the means;g The HSCI varies from − 1.5 to 5.9, where the highest value represents a situation of strain and important burden for informal carers. Also, the correlation coefficient between the health status and HSCI was 0.403. It is not impossible that using them both variables in the same model could increase the risk of multicollinearity. h MHI-5 Mental Health Inventory (0–100), with 100 representing the score of optimal mental health. (I)ALD (Instrumental) Activity of Daily Living