Health-related quality of life in caregivers of community-dwelling individuals with disabilities or chronic conditions. A gender-differentiated analysis in a cross-sectional study

Milagros Rico-Blázquez, Víctor Quesada-Cubo, Elena Polentinos-Castro, Raquel Sánchez-Ruano, M Ángeles Rayo-Gómez, Isabel Del Cura-González, CuidaCare Group, Milagros Rico-Blázquez, Rosario Almena-Martín, Ángeles Almodovar-López, Julia Alonso-Arcas, Elvira Álvarez-Navarro, Henar Álvarez-Santos, Begoña Andrés-Alonso, Virginia Antolín-Díaz, Mercedes Araujo-Calvo, Encarnación Ayuso-Gil, Cynthia A Barbero-Macías, Inés Bermejo-Mayoral, Ana Berninches-Heredero, Lourdes Botanes-Peñafiel, Lorena Cámara-González, Isabel Careaga-González, Sergio de-Casas-Albendea, Carmen Castilla-Álvarez, Belén Castro-Sánchez, Noelia Castro-Torrado, María J Clemente-Del-Castillo, Pilar Dávila-Moriña, Juana Díaz-de-Espada-León, Analía Domínguez-González, Lorena Domínguez-Pérez, Dolores Domínguez-Puebla, Mónica Escribano-Zaera, Luisa Escudero-Muñoz, Raquel Fernández-Arnaldo, Teresa Fernández-Del-Campo-Coca, Mercedes Fernández-Ortega, Rafaela Fernández-Rodríguez, Virginia García-Campo, Isabel García-Del-Río, María J García-Garrudo, Elena García-Gómez-de-Cardiñanos, Juan García-Ruíz, Petra García-San, Jorge Geanini-Torres, Rosa Gómez-Quevedo, Eva Gómez-Robledo, Carmen Gómez-Pesquera, Begoña González-Fernández, Aranzazu González-Valls, Natalie Harris-de-la-Vega, Susana Herrero-Yusta, Sonia de-la-Iglesia-Moreno, Silvia Jiménez-Maillo, Luisa Juárez-Zapatero, Raquel Juez-Pimienta, Francisca Lara-Bueno, Pilar Lasala-Raso, Lucía Letón-Gutiérrez, Margarita Leza-Leza, Raquel López-Del-Cid, Laura López-Kölmer, Paz Lozano-Fernández, Elisa López-Serrano, Elena Martín-Ávila, María Martín-Martín, Sara Martín-Martínez, Anunciación Martínez-Arroyo, Carmen Martínez-Palomo, Cristina Martínez-Ruíz, Pilar Martínez-Zafra, Alicia Mateo-Madurga, Natalia Méndez-Junco, Antonia Minguito-Lobos, Paloma Molina-Gómez, Marina Moreno-Collado, Ana B Moreno-Moreno, Cristina Olmos-Sancho, Remedios Peláez-Toré, Raquel Pérez-Barrios, Pérez-Barrios Pérez-García, Esmeralda Pulido-López, Ana B Ramírez-Puerta, Luz Del Rey-Moya, Araceli Rivera-Álvarez, Paz Rodrigo-Rodrigo, María N Ruiz-Martín, AnaI Serna-Urnicia, Josefa Sidera-Jiménez, Encarnación Tornay-Muñoz, Laura Villanova-Cuadra, Isabel Villanueva-Alameda, Cristina Villanueva-Sanz, Emiliana Villares-Motino, Milagros Rico-Blázquez, Víctor Quesada-Cubo, Elena Polentinos-Castro, Raquel Sánchez-Ruano, M Ángeles Rayo-Gómez, Isabel Del Cura-González, CuidaCare Group, Milagros Rico-Blázquez, Rosario Almena-Martín, Ángeles Almodovar-López, Julia Alonso-Arcas, Elvira Álvarez-Navarro, Henar Álvarez-Santos, Begoña Andrés-Alonso, Virginia Antolín-Díaz, Mercedes Araujo-Calvo, Encarnación Ayuso-Gil, Cynthia A Barbero-Macías, Inés Bermejo-Mayoral, Ana Berninches-Heredero, Lourdes Botanes-Peñafiel, Lorena Cámara-González, Isabel Careaga-González, Sergio de-Casas-Albendea, Carmen Castilla-Álvarez, Belén Castro-Sánchez, Noelia Castro-Torrado, María J Clemente-Del-Castillo, Pilar Dávila-Moriña, Juana Díaz-de-Espada-León, Analía Domínguez-González, Lorena Domínguez-Pérez, Dolores Domínguez-Puebla, Mónica Escribano-Zaera, Luisa Escudero-Muñoz, Raquel Fernández-Arnaldo, Teresa Fernández-Del-Campo-Coca, Mercedes Fernández-Ortega, Rafaela Fernández-Rodríguez, Virginia García-Campo, Isabel García-Del-Río, María J García-Garrudo, Elena García-Gómez-de-Cardiñanos, Juan García-Ruíz, Petra García-San, Jorge Geanini-Torres, Rosa Gómez-Quevedo, Eva Gómez-Robledo, Carmen Gómez-Pesquera, Begoña González-Fernández, Aranzazu González-Valls, Natalie Harris-de-la-Vega, Susana Herrero-Yusta, Sonia de-la-Iglesia-Moreno, Silvia Jiménez-Maillo, Luisa Juárez-Zapatero, Raquel Juez-Pimienta, Francisca Lara-Bueno, Pilar Lasala-Raso, Lucía Letón-Gutiérrez, Margarita Leza-Leza, Raquel López-Del-Cid, Laura López-Kölmer, Paz Lozano-Fernández, Elisa López-Serrano, Elena Martín-Ávila, María Martín-Martín, Sara Martín-Martínez, Anunciación Martínez-Arroyo, Carmen Martínez-Palomo, Cristina Martínez-Ruíz, Pilar Martínez-Zafra, Alicia Mateo-Madurga, Natalia Méndez-Junco, Antonia Minguito-Lobos, Paloma Molina-Gómez, Marina Moreno-Collado, Ana B Moreno-Moreno, Cristina Olmos-Sancho, Remedios Peláez-Toré, Raquel Pérez-Barrios, Pérez-Barrios Pérez-García, Esmeralda Pulido-López, Ana B Ramírez-Puerta, Luz Del Rey-Moya, Araceli Rivera-Álvarez, Paz Rodrigo-Rodrigo, María N Ruiz-Martín, AnaI Serna-Urnicia, Josefa Sidera-Jiménez, Encarnación Tornay-Muñoz, Laura Villanova-Cuadra, Isabel Villanueva-Alameda, Cristina Villanueva-Sanz, Emiliana Villares-Motino

Abstract

Background: Most care for people with chronic or disabling conditions living in the community is provided in the family context, and this care is traditionally provided by women. Providing informal care has a negative impact on caregivers' quality of life, which adds to existing health inequalities associated with gender. The aim of this study was to analyze factors associated with the health-related quality of life of caregivers and to determine their differences in a gender-differentiated analysis.

Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted in primary healthcare. A total of 218 caregivers aged 65 years or older were included, all of whom assumed the primary responsibility for caring for people with disabling conditions for at least 6 months per year and agreed to participate in the CuidaCare study. The dependent variable was health-related quality of life, assessed with the EQ-5D. The explanatory variables tested were grouped into sociodemographic variables, subjective burden, caregiving role, social support and variables related to the dependent person. The associations between these variables and health-related quality of life were estimated by fitting robust linear regression models. Separate analyses were conducted for women and men.

Results: A total of 72.8% of the sample were women, and 27.2% were men. The mean score on the EQ-5D for female caregivers was 0.64 (0.31); for male caregivers, it was 0.79 (0.23). There were differences by gender in the frequency of reported problems in the dimensions of pain/comfort and anxiety/depression. The variables that were associated with quality of life also differed. Having a positive depression screening was negatively associated with quality of life for both genders: -0.31 points (95% CI: -0.47; -0.15) for female caregivers and -0.48 points (95% CI: -0.92; -0.03) for male caregivers. Perceived burden was associated with quality of life in the adjusted model for women (-0.12 points; 95% CI: -0.19; -0.06), and domestic help was associated in the adjusted model for male caregivers (-0.12 points; 95% CI: -0.19; -0.05).

Conclusions: Gender differences are present in informal caregiving. The impact of providing informal care is different for male and female caregivers, and so are the factors that affect their perceived quality of life. It could be useful it incorporates a gender perspective in the design of nursing support interventions for caregivers to individualize care and improve the quality of life of caregivers.

Trial registration: NCT01478295 [ https://ClinicalTrials.gov ]. 23/11/2011.

Keywords: Caregivers; Chronic disease; Disabled persons; Gender roles; Informal care; Primary health care; Quality of life.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

© 2022. The Author(s).

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Health-related quality of life of caregivers, according to the EQ-5D-3L descriptive system

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