Material deprivation among informal caregivers: a literature review on housing, food insecurity, and harmful effects on health.

INTRODUCTION

Inflation and rising living costs are significant global issues impacting vulnerable groups, including informal caregivers. While it is known that informal caregiving may pose potential negative health effects, social inequalities associated with it are not well understood.

AIM: This study aims to explore the material deprivation - specifically housing and food insecurity - faced by informal caregivers and the harmful effects this can have on health to inform future actions.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review to explore the impact of material deprivation on informal caregivers' health and well-being. We performed literature searches in databases including CINAHL, PubMed, SocINDEX, and Web of Science, along with hand searches, focusing on studies from the last 20 years.

RESULTS

The searches yielded 15 articles, mainly from the United States. The evidence shows that caregivers are more likely to report hunger, household food insecurity, and lower incomes than non-caregivers. They also experience household material, bill-paying, and healthcare hardships and have an increased risk of homelessness and child poverty. Some of these issues were further reported to affect their health.

CONCLUSIONS

To tackle the social vulnerabilities caregivers face, robust national policies and healthcare practices that recognise and support informal caregivers and further in-depth research are needed.