Table 3.
Longitudinal evaluations: disease burden outcomes among informal caregivers (IC) compared with non-caregivers (NC).
| First Author, Publication Year [Reference] |
Outcomes and Assessment Tools | Results: Informal Caregivers (IC) vs. Non-Caregivers (NC) (Numbers in Bold Were Reported to Be Stat. Significant Results) |
|---|---|---|
|
Rothgang, 2018 [16] |
Incidence based on International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10): | Five-year incidence of disease in IC vs. NC (2012–2017; as ref.-categ.) comparing new diagnoses in 2017 with 2012 using odds ratios (OR) as relative risk estimates: |
| 1. Mental and behavioural disorders (F) | 1. OR: 1.35 (prevalence in 2012: 39.6% vs. 36.7%; in 2017: 48.7% vs. 42.5%) | |
| 1a. Depression (F32, F33, F34.1) | 1a. OR: 1.38 (prevalence in 2012: 18.1% vs. 16.5%; in 2017: 23.4% vs. 19.7%) | |
| 1b. Severe stress/adjustment disorders (F43) | 1b. OR: 1.61 (prevalence in 2012: 8.5% vs. 7.1%; in 2017: 12.5% vs. 8.5%) | |
| 1c. Sleep disorders (F51) | 1c. OR: 1.2 (prevalence in 2012: 1.2% vs. 1.1%; in 2017: 1.8% vs. 1.5%) | |
| 2. Diseases of digestive system (K) | 2. OR: 1.06 (prevalence in 2012: 39.2% vs. 37.6%; in 2017: 45.9% vs. 44.6%) | |
| 3. Diseases of musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M) | 3. OR: 1.17 (prevalence in 2012: 66.8% vs. 64.4%; in 2017: 72.1% vs. 69.4%) | |
| 3a. Spinal diseases/back (M40-54) | 3a. OR: 1.19 (prevalence in 2012: 50.6% vs. 47.6%; in 2017: 54.9% vs. 51.3%) | |
| 3b. Joint disease (M00-25) | 3b. OR: 1.09 (prevalence in 2012: 20.3% vs19.6%; in 2017: 23.5% vs. 22.7%) | |
| 4. Pain (F45.5, F62.80, G54.6, M25.5, M54, M75.8, M79.6, R52) | 4. OR: 1.19 (prevalence in 2012: 42.9% vs. 39.9%; in 2017: 48.4% vs. 44.6%) | |
|
Roth, 2018 [17] |
Mortality over 7 years (death certificates or National Death Index) | Total sample aHR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.72–0.97), p = 0.018 |
| Subsamples (by caregiving groups): | ||
| Spouse caregivers: aHR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.73–1.25 | ||
| High strain caregivers: aHR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.52–1.03 | ||
| Some strain caregivers: aHR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.71–1.12 | ||
| No strain caregivers: aHR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.66–1.07 | ||
| Caregiving ≥ 14 h/wk: aHR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.63–0.98 | ||
| Caregiving < 14 h/wk: aHR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.71–1.07 | ||
|
De Zwart, 2017 [18] |
1. Depressive symptoms EURO-D scale (0 = not depressed at all, 12 = severely depressed) |
1. Change in mean scores after propensity match scoring: males: after 2 y: 0.45 (0.16), p < 0.01, 4 y: −0.18 (0.18), 7 y: 0.15 (0.23), both p ≥ 0.050 females: after 2 y: 0.57 (0.16), p < 0.01, 4 y: −0.10 (0.18), 7 y: −0.13 (0.20), both p ≥ 0.050 |
| 2. Self-reported health (5-point scale from 1 = worst to 5 = best) |
2. Change in mean scores after propensity match scoring: males: after 2 y: −0.16 (0.07), p < 0.10, 4 y: 0.07 (0.09), 7 y: 0.02 (0.10), both p ≥ 0.050 females: after 2 y: −0.20 (0.061), p < 0.10, 4 y: 0.01 (0.07), 7 y: 0.02 (0.08), both p ≥ 0.050 |
|
| 3. Self-reported number of doctor visits in past 12 months |
3. Change in mean scores after propensity match scoring: males: after 2 y: 0.67 (0.50), p ≥ 0.050, 4 y: 0.88 (0.64), p ≥ 0.050, 7 y: 1.22 (0.79), p ≥ 0.050 females: after 2 y: 1.37 (0.47), p < 0.05, 4 y: 0.01 (0.52),p ≥ 0.050, 7 y: −1.54 (0.58), p < 0.05 |
|
|
Fredman, 2015 [19] |
Mortality over 13 years (death certificates) | IC vs. NC: 38.8% (n = 145) vs. 48.7% (n = 338) deaths aHR 0.77, 95% CI: 0.62–0.95 |
|
Rosso, 2015 [20] |
Physical function | Baseline Characteristics for High-Frequency IC (≥3 x/wk)/Low-Frequency IC (≤2 x/wk)/NC |
| 1. Mean walk speed (time to complete a 6-m course) | 1. Mean walk speed, m/s (SD): 1.10 (0.26)/1.08 (0.27)/1.09 (0.26) | |
| 2. Mean grip strength (by hand-grip dynamometer) | 2. Mean grip strength, kg (SD): 22.5 (5.5)/23.2 (5.4)/22.9 (5.4) | |
| 3. Mean chair stands (number of times participants could rise in 15 s) | 3. Mean chair stands, number (SD): 6.4 (1.9)/6.4 (1.9)/6.4 (1.9) | |
| Mean Differences in Measures of Physical Function after 6 years: High-frequency IC (≥3 x/wk) and Low-Frequency (≤2 x/wk) vs. NC (reference) | 1. Walk speed (m/s): 0.01, 95% CI: −0.01–0.03 and 0.00, 95% CI: −0.12–0.02 | |
| 2. Grip strength (kg): 0.11, 95% CI: −0.57–0.35 and 0.63, 95% CI: 0.24–1.01 | ||
| 3. Chair stands (number): 0.02, 95% CI: −0.17–0.22 and −0.12, 95% CI: −0.26–0.03 | ||
| Analyses used inverse proportional weights from propensity scores of caregiving at baseline and for differential attrition and were adjusted for study enrolment. | ||
|
O’Reilly, 2015 [21] |
Mortality over 2.8 years (mortality records) | Total sample: aHR 0.72, 95% CI: 0.69–0.75 |
| Subsamples (by number of hours/week spent caring): | ||
| Men, heavy care (≥50 h/wk): aHR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.71–0.83 | ||
| Men, medium care (20–49 h/wk): aHR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.71–0.92 | ||
| Men, light care (1–19 h/wk): aHR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.64–0.77 | ||
| Women, heavy care (≥50 h/wk): aHR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.69–0.83 | ||
| Women, medium care 20–49 h/wk): aHR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.57–0.78 | ||
| Women, light care (1–19 h/wk): aHR: 0.62, 95% CI:0.56–0.69 | ||
|
Kenny, 2014 [22] |
Quality of Life (QoL) (SF-36: Physical Component and Mental Component Scale, range 0 = worst, 100 = best) |
Coefficient (95% CI) from separate multiple regression models for change in QoL components in IC relative to NC: |
| 1. Physical Functioning Component | 1. Caregiving 5–19 h/wk: after 2 y: 2.5 (−4.8–9.9), after 4 y: −7.7 (−16.4–1.0) 1. Caregiving ≥ 20 h/wk: after 2 y: 10.0 (1.5–18.4), after 4 y: 3.1 (−6.7–12.9) |
|
| 2. Mental Health Component | 2. Caregiving 5–19 h/wk: after 2 y: −2.4 (−7.4–2.5), after 4 y: −9.2 (−17.0–1.5), 2. Caregiving ≥ 20 h/wk: after 2 y: 3.2 (−3.5–9.9), after 4 y: −8.7 (−18.1–0.7) |
|
|
Ramsay, 2013 [23] |
Mortality over 8 years | All-cause mortality in subsamples |
| Men Caregiving ≥20 h/wk: aHR 0.87, 95% CI: 0.79–0.97 | ||
| Men Caregiving 1–19 h/wk: aHR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.75–0.89 | ||
| Women Caregiving ≥20 h/wk: aHR 0.80, 95% CI: 0.71–0.89 | ||
| Women Caregiving 1–19 h/wk: aHR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.66–0.83 | ||
|
Brown, 2009 [24] |
Mortality over 7 years | All-cause mortality |
| Caregiving ≥14 h/wk: aHR 0.64, 95% CI: 0.45–0.90 | ||
| Caregiving 1–14 h/wk: aHR 0.92, 95% CI: 0.69–1.24 |
CI = confidence interval; aHR = adjusted hazard ratio; vs. = versus; wk = week; SD = standard deviation; SF-36 = 36-Item Short Form Survey.