Factors Associated with the Health Status of Caregivers of Community-dwelling Older Adults with Dementia in Japan: The Toyama Dementia Survey.

INTRODUCTION

Maintaining the health of caregivers providing home care for older adults with dementia is necessary. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of physical and mental health problems among these caregivers and to identify the associated factors.

METHODS

The Toyama Dementia Survey, a county-wide cross-sectional study, was conducted in 2014. In the first stage, 0.5% of the total geriatric population (307,582 residents) in Toyama prefecture was randomly sampled, and 1,303 individuals who agreed to participate were selected. They were screened via face-to-face interviews, including memory tests. Among them, 252 (19.3%) were identified as having a high probability of dementia. In the second stage, home visits were conducted by psychiatrists and public health nurses. While psychiatrists diagnosed care recipients with dementia, public health nurses interviewed caregivers about their health problems. The analysis focused on 75 pairs of care recipients and their family caregivers who were visited. The association between behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSDs) and the physical and mental health of family caregivers was examined using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Physical and mental health problems were experienced by 40% and 37.3% of the caregivers, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for physical health problems among caregivers aged 80 years or older compared with those under 60 years was 13.46 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.86-7.55). Compared with caregivers with patients without BPSDs, caregivers of patients with two or more BPSDs showed a marginal association with mental health problems (adjusted OR 2.96, 95% CI 0.84-10.43). Among physical symptoms, sleep deprivation was significantly more common in male caregivers than in female caregivers.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately 40% of caregivers of older adults with dementia experienced physical or mental health problems. Caregivers' age was associated with physical health problems. Male caregivers were more likely to experience sleep deprivation than female caregivers.