Gender differences in the overhead and involvement in family care of dependent elderly
Section: Originals
How to quote
Del Pino Casado R, Frías Osuna A, Palomino Moral PA, Millán Cobo MD. Diferencias de género en la sobrecarga e implicación en el cuidado familiar de mayores dependientes. RIdEC 2010; 3(2):12-8.
Authors
1Rafael del Pino Casado, 2Antonio Frías Osuna, 3Pedro A. Palomino Moral, 4Martín D. Millán Cobo
Position
1Enfermero. Licenciado en Antropología y Doctor por la Universidad de Jaén. Profesor Colaborador del Departamento de Enfermería,2,3,4Departamento de Enfermería, Universidad de Jaén.
Abstract
Objectives: to analyze gender differences in subjective overload and involvement in care (objective burden and duration) in family caregivers (FCG) of dependent elderly.
Material and methods: cross sectional study on a random sample of 204 primary family caregivers of dependent elderly. Variables: gender, age, kinship, common residence, subjective overload, objective burden (dedication to the care, complexity of care and need of care of person cared for) and duration. Data collection by interviews. Statistical analysis: frequency tables, measures of central tendency and dispersion, confidence intervals, Student’s T test for independent groups and multiple linear regression.
Results: there were no were statistically significant differences in gender (p <0.05), involvement in care (objective burden and duration), and subjective overload (both in bivariate analysis and in multivariate analysis controlling the objective burden and duration).
Conclusions: previous results, along with those of major surveys conducted at national level, support the existence of a specific cultural pattern of informal care o the Mediterranean model, where there are no gender differences in involvement in the care of primary family caregivers, because men start acting as main caregivers once they have exhausted all female resources and the possibility of internment is considered. The absence of gender differences in subjective overload in this study, coupled with the fact that in other studies where there are gender differences, they disappear when controlling the objective burden, supports the hypothesis that when there are gender differences in overload, these are due to unequal gender distribution of objective burden. This hypothesis could also be explained by the above specific cultural pattern, but in any case, it is a hypothesis that needs further investigation.
Material and methods: cross sectional study on a random sample of 204 primary family caregivers of dependent elderly. Variables: gender, age, kinship, common residence, subjective overload, objective burden (dedication to the care, complexity of care and need of care of person cared for) and duration. Data collection by interviews. Statistical analysis: frequency tables, measures of central tendency and dispersion, confidence intervals, Student’s T test for independent groups and multiple linear regression.
Results: there were no were statistically significant differences in gender (p <0.05), involvement in care (objective burden and duration), and subjective overload (both in bivariate analysis and in multivariate analysis controlling the objective burden and duration).
Conclusions: previous results, along with those of major surveys conducted at national level, support the existence of a specific cultural pattern of informal care o the Mediterranean model, where there are no gender differences in involvement in the care of primary family caregivers, because men start acting as main caregivers once they have exhausted all female resources and the possibility of internment is considered. The absence of gender differences in subjective overload in this study, coupled with the fact that in other studies where there are gender differences, they disappear when controlling the objective burden, supports the hypothesis that when there are gender differences in overload, these are due to unequal gender distribution of objective burden. This hypothesis could also be explained by the above specific cultural pattern, but in any case, it is a hypothesis that needs further investigation.
Keywords:
dependency; elderly; Gender; informal care; objective burden; subjective overload
Versión en Español
Título:
Diferencias de género en la sobrecarga e implicación en el cuidado familiar de mayores dependientes
