Predictors of Decreased Self-Care among Spouse Caregivers of Older Adults with Dementing Illnesses
Journal of Aging and HealthPublished 1 August 1997Open access
Mary P. Gallant, Cathleen M Connell
Citations156
Generate an AI Snapshot to get a quick, structured summary of this paper.
Study Snapshot
ObjectiveStudy objective
MethodsResearch methodology
PopulationPopulation studied
Sample sizeSample sizes
OutcomesStudy outcomes here
ResultsStudy results comes here
LimitationsResearch study limitations comes here
A concise AI-generated summary of the paper will appear here once you click Generate AI Snapshot.
Abstract
This study describes the health behaviors (alcohol consumption, exercise, sleep patterns, smoking, and weight maintenance) of a sample of older adult spouse caregivers (N = 233) and investigates the predictors of decreased self-care since caregiving began. Multiple regression results indicate that caregivers who experience greater developmental burden, report a greater number of depressive symptoms, perform a greater number of activities of daily living (ADL) tasks in caregiving and spend more hours in a day providing care, and who have lower self-efficacy for both self-care and spouse care are at greater risk for negative health behavior change. Results have implications for the identification of caregivers who may be particularly vulnerable to the negative health impact of caregiving.
Keywords
Social SciencesMedicineHealth Professions
Health Education MonographsDevelopment of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Scales
3,403 Citations1978Kenneth A. Wallston, Barbara Strudler Wallston +1 more
The development of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scales is described, which are developed to tap beliefs that the source of reinforcements for health-related behaviors is primarily in ternal, a matter of chance, or under the control of powerful others.
Journal of Aging and HealthTwo Shorter Forms of the CES-D Depression Symptoms Index
2,298 Citations1993Frank J. Kohout, Lisa Berkman +2 more
Measuring the Functional Components of Social Support
2,180 Citations1985Sheldon Cohen, Robin Mermelstein +2 more
The GerontologistPsychiatric and Physical Morbidity Effects of Dementia Caregiving: Prevalence, Correlates, and Causes
1,785 Citations1995R. Schulz, Alison T. O'Brien +2 more
Across studies, psychiatric morbidity in caregivers was linked to patient problem behaviors, income, self-rated health, perceived stress, and life satisfaction, and physical morbidity was associated with patient Problem behaviors and cognitive impairment, and with caregiver depression, anxiety, and perceived social support.
Social Support: Theory, Research and Applications
1,357 Citations1985Irwin G. Sarason, Barbara R. Sarason
The GerontologistCaregivers of the Frail Elderly: A National Profile
1,218 Citations1987Robyn Stone, Gail Lee Cafferata +1 more
The data suggest that caregivers as well as care recipients are a vulnerable group since one-third are over age 65, report incomes in the poor to near-poor category and describe health status as fair or poor.
The GerontologistApplication of a Multidimensional Caregiver Burden Inventory
1,193 Citations1989Milan Novák, C. Guest
Preventive MedicineRelationship of physical health status and health practices
1,139 Citations1972Nedra B. Belloc, Lester Breslow
Journal of GerontologyA Two-factor Model of Caregiving Appraisal and Psychological Well-Being
663 Citations1991M. P. Lawton, Miriam S. Moss +3 more
Limited support was found for the hypothesis that the positive and negative aspects of caregiving contributed to analogous aspects of generalized psychological well-being but not to the opposite-valence outcomes.
Journal of GerontologyPsychiatric and Physical Morbidity Effects of Caregiving
639 Citations1990Richard Schulz, Paul Visintainer +1 more
The literature indicates increases in self-report psychiatric symptomatology and increases in psychiatric illness among most caregivers when compared to population norms or appropriate control groups, however, there is little information on the population prevalence or incidence of clinically significant psychiatric conditions attributable to caregiving.
Psychology and AgingStress, appraisal, coping, and social support as predictors of adaptational outcome among dementia caregivers.
534 Citations1987William E. Haley, Ellen G. Levine +2 more
Archives of Internal MedicineThe 10-Year Incidence of Overweight and Major Weight Gain in US Adults
437 Citations1990David F. Williamson
It is concluded that obesity prevention should begin among adults in their early 20s and that special emphasis is needed for young women who are already overweight.
Journal of Health and Social BehaviorSelf-Efficacy and Health Behavior Among Older Adults
408 Citations1993David Grembowski, Donald L. Patrick +5 more
Examination of the cost savings and changes in health-related quality of life associated with the provision and reimbursement of a preventive services package to 2,524 Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound found that older adults with high self-efficacy had lower health risk in all behaviors and better health.
Journal of the American Geriatrics SocietyPsychological, Social, and Health Consequences of Caring for a Relative with Senile Dementia
332 Citations1987William E. Haley, Ellen G. Levine +3 more
Results clearly indicate the serious and wide‐ranging effects of the stress of caregiving, and reinforce the importance of providing comprehensive services for caregiving families.
Social Work in Health CareThe Relationship of Self-Efficacy Appraisals to Subsequent Health Related Outcomes
293 Citations1992Gary Holden
The results of a meta-analysis examining studies which employed the construct of self-efficacy as a predictor of health related outcomes is presented.
Journal of Clinical EpidemiologyAn overview of body weight of older persons, including the impact on mortality The national health and nutrition examination survey i-epidemiologic follow-up study
277 Citations1991Joan Cornoni‐Huntley, Tamara B. Harris +5 more
The authors studied distributions of body weight for height, change in body weight with age, and the relationship between body mass index and mortality among participants in the Epidemiologic Follow-up Study of the NHEFS, a cohort study based on an representative sample of the U.S. population.
Psychology and AgingPsychological, social, and health impact of caregiving: A comparison of Black and White dementia family caregivers and noncaregivers.
265 Citations1995William E. Haley, Constance A. C. West +6 more
Methodological issues in comparing well-being in Black and White caregivers, in particular the importance of including noncaregiving comparison subjects are discussed, are discussed.
Journal of the American Geriatrics SocietyCorrelates of Impaired Function in Older Women
263 Citations1994Kristine E. Ensrud, Michael C. Nevitt +5 more
The objective is to determine the factors associated with impaired function in older women and to establish a smoking cessation strategy for older women.
Milbank QuarterlyFamily Care of the Elderly: The Role of Public Policy
261 Citations1986Pamela Doty
There is little evidence to support the belief that families are less willing or able to provide home care to elderly relatives, and proposals for providing cash grants or tax allowances do not get to the heart of the matter.
DigitalGeorgetown (Georgetown University Library)Alzheimer's disease treatment and family stress : directions for research
249 Citations1990Enid Light, Barry D. Lebowitz
Part 1 Issues in Alzheimer's disease and family research: the family at risk, E. Brody guardianship of the cognitively impaired elderly - directions for research, and issues and directions for mental health research: services research - research problems and possibilities.
Psychosomatic MedicineChanges in plasma lipids and dietary intake accompanying shifts in perceived workload and stress.
188 Citations1990Barbara S. McCann, G. Russell Warnick +1 more
Dietary intake of calories, total fat, and percentage of calories from fat were significantly higher during high workload during a period of high workload is associated with elevated total cholesterol and that dietary intake of foods which raise cholesterol levels is also increased.
The GerontologistCaregiving Hassles Scale: Assessing the Daily Hassles of Caring for a Family Member With Dementia
179 Citations1989J. M. Kinney, Mary Ann Parris Stephens
The 42-item Caregiving Hassles Scale provides a reliable and psychometrically sound instrument for assessing hassles associated with assistance in basic ADL, assistance in instrumentalADL, care-recipients' cognitive status, care's behavior, and caregivers' social network.
Health Education QuarterlyLife Events, Social Network, Life-Style, and Health: An Analysis of the 1979 National Survey of Personal Health Practices and Consequences
176 Citations1984Nell H. Gottlieb, Lawrence W. Green
Analysis of data from the National Survey of Personal Health Practices and Consequences indicated that age, income, education, and life events affected health directly, while the effects of church attendance and marriage were likely mediated through smoking and alcohol behaviors.
Journal of Behavioral MedicineCoping style, cognitive hardiness, and health status
157 Citations1989Kenneth M. Nowack
Investigation of the effects of coping style and cognitive hardiness on physical and psychological health status found that intrusive negative thoughts and avoidance coping approaches significantly contributed to predictions of psychological distress and physical illness outcomes.
Annals of Internal MedicineWeight Loss and Subsequent Death in a Cohort of U.S. Adults
151 Citations1993Elsie R. Pamuk, David F. Williamson +3 more
It was found that, at maximum BMIs of 29 or more, weight losses of 5% to 14% appeared to be protective for men but not for women, while among men and women whose maximum BMI was less than 29, the risk for death increased with increasing weight loss; among participants who had been moderately overweight, those who lost 15% or more had more than twice the mortality risk of those losing less than 5%.
Medical CareSocial Support, Stressful Events, Strain, Dietary Intake, and the Elderly
145 Citations1989Wm. Alex McIntosh, Peggy A. Shifflett +1 more
Little research exists linking social support, stressors, and related nutritional strain (loss of appetite) with the risk of poor nutritional health, but relationships among these concepts were investigated using a sample of elderly Virginians.
Preventive MedicineHealth Practices and Disability: Some Evidence from Alameda County
110 Citations1993Lester Breslow, N. E. Breslow
Observation now reveals that, taking into account age, gender, physical health status, and social network index in 1965, the occurrence of disability was only about one-half as great among the cohort survivors in 1974 who reported good health practices in 1965 as among those with poor health practices.
Journal of Aging and HealthMental and Physical Health of Male Caregivers of a Spouse with Alzheimer's Disease
108 Citations1995Freida Fuller-Jonap, William E. Haley
Results indicate that compared with noncaregiving men, male spouse caregivers have poorer mental and physical health, but only within limited domains of health outcomes.
Psychology and AgingSocial control, health risk taking, and psychological distress among the elderly.
102 Citations1990Karen S. Rook, Paul Thuras +1 more
Social control was only weakly related to participants' health practices and was generally related to less psychological distress and to greater interpersonal satisfaction, and implications for social control theory and for further research are addressed.
Preventive MedicineMental health, stress, and poor health behaviors in two community samples
102 Citations1991S. Cohen, Joseph E. Schwartz +2 more
The results emphasize the importance of considering gender-specific risk factors in the design of intervention programs and suggest some combinations of stress were detrimental.
Journal of GerontologyThe Impact of Elder Health, Caregiver Involvement, and Global Stress on Two Dimensions of Caregiver Burden
97 Citations1991Baila Miller, S. McFall +1 more
Results using linear structural relations analysis showed the effect of a frail elder's health and functioning on personal and interpersonal burden is mediated by task involvement and perceived global stress.
Research on AgingThe Stress Process among Dementia Spouse Caregivers
83 Citations1998Mary P. Gallant, Cathleen M Connell
Results support the hypothesis that caregiving negatively influences health behaviors and support the notion that health behavior change may represent one mechanism by which caregiving stress leads to adverse health outcomes.
The GerontologistDeterminants of Functional Health of Older Persons
82 Citations1990Mary E. Duffy, Ewan B Macdonald
Relationships among demographics, self esteem, health locus of control, health promotion behaviors, perceived health and functional health ratings in 179 older men and women suggest that exercise and nutrition may be critical health promotion activities associated with better scores on five functional dimensions.
American Journal of Alzheimer s Care and Related Disorders & ResearchImpact of spouse caregiving on health behaviors and physical and mental health status
70 Citations1994Cathleen M Connell
The impact of caring for a spouse with a progressive dementia on caregiver's health behaviors and health status was examined and caregivers rated their own health as poorer than their spouse's health.
The GerontologistImpact of Internal Health Locus of Control on Health Outcomes for Older Men and Women: A Longitudinal Perspective
60 Citations1994Margaret Wallhagen, William J. Strawbridge +2 more
IHLC was strongly related to change in physical functioning for women at all levels of baseline functioning, but only affected men with lower baseline functioning; and for both genders IH LC was related to the importance placed on good health.
American Journal of PsychiatryLife events of adolescents in relation to personal and parental substance abuse
53 Citations1989Sandra A. Brown
The 62 adolescents who were substance abusers reported more negative events involving deviance and emotional distress and evaluated the life events they experienced as less desirable than did the 76 nonabusing adolescents.
Recent developments in alcoholismLife Stressors and Problem Drinking among Older Adults
51 Citations1984John W. Finney, Rudolf H. Moos
The empirical evidence relating life stressors to the onset of problem drinking in older age and the continuation of drinking problems into the later stages of the life cycle is critically examined.
PubMedChanges in body mass index in young adults in relation to number of life events experienced.
22 Citations1988M.A. Rookus, J. Burema +1 more
The gain in body mass that may occur following the experience of many life events in women, seems to be effectively counterbalanced by regulatory mechanisms, in men, however, theExperience of few or many life Events may play a part in the aetiology of overweight.