scholarly journals Sandwich Generation Caregiving Among Baby Boomer and Generation X Caregivers in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 93-94
Author(s):  
Christina Miyawaki ◽  
Erin Bouldin ◽  
Eva Jeffers ◽  
Lisa McGuire

Abstract Sandwich generation caregivers are generally those who care for both a child and an older adult. Baby Boomer and Generation X belong to this age cohort. Using data from the 2015-2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Caregiver Module, we compared the prevalence and characteristics of sandwich caregivers across these two generations. Data represent adults from 44 jurisdictions. We categorized caregivers into generations using their age at the time of the survey (N=34,777). Sandwich caregivers were classified as those who lived with a child (≤18 years) and provided care/assistance to a parent/grandparent with a long-term illness/disability during the past 30 days. Prevalence ratios (PR) from log-binomial regression models that included generation, sandwich caregiver status, sex, and race/ethnicity were used to compare weighted estimates. Six percent of Baby Boomers and 31% of Generation X were sandwich caregivers (p<0.001). In adjusted models, sandwich caregivers had a lower prevalence of any chronic health condition (PR=0.77, p=0.01) and fair/poor health (PR=0.87, p=0.003) than other caregivers, but similar frequent mental and physical distress prevalence. Baby Boomer caregivers were more likely to report a chronic health condition, fair/poor health, and frequent physical distress than their Generation X counterparts, but less likely to report frequent mental distress. Sandwich caregivers in these generations appear to be in better health than other caregivers. Nonetheless, it is critical to support the needs of sandwich caregivers as they age, given their important role in meeting the needs of both children and older adults and the additional challenges created by the pandemic.

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria L. G. Bayog ◽  
Catherine M. Waters

Introduction: Nearly half of Americans have a chronic health condition related to unhealthful behavior. One in four Americans is an immigrant; yet immigrants’ health has been studied little, particularly among Asian American subpopulations. Methodology: Years lived in United States, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, walking, adiposity, and fruit/vegetable variables in the 2011-2012 California Health Interview Survey were analyzed to examine the influence of nativity on chronic health conditions and health behaviors in 555 adult Filipinos, the second largest Asian American immigrant subpopulation. Results: Recent and long-term immigrant Filipinos had higher odds of having hypertension and diabetes, but lower odds of smoking and overweight/obesity compared with second-generation Filipinos. Discussion: Being born in the United States may be protective against chronic health conditions, but not for healthful behaviors among Filipinos. Chronic disease prevention and health promotion strategies should consider nativity/length of residence, which may be a more consequential health determinant than other immigration and acculturation characteristics.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Nguyen ◽  
Hanae Davis ◽  
Samantha Bellefeuille ◽  
Jessica Havens ◽  
Susan M. Jack ◽  
...  

Background: As children and adolescents with a chronic health condition (CHC) age and transition to adulthood, many will increasingly assume responsibilities for the management of their healthcare. For individuals with CHCs, family members including siblings often provide significant and varied supports. There are a range of resources in Canada to support siblings of individuals with a CHC, but these resources are not synthesized and the extent to which they relate to healthcare management remains unclear.Purpose: The purpose of this document review was to identify, describe, and synthesize the types of resources currently available to provide general information and healthcare management information about how siblings can provide support to individuals with CHCs in Canada.Methods: Print and electronic resources were systematically identified and retrieved from the websites of organizations, treatment centers, and children's hospitals that are part of Children's Healthcare Canada. Each unique resource was treated as a text document. Documents that met the following inclusion criteria were included: addressed the topic of siblings of individuals with a CHC and written in English. Data were extracted from included documents and qualitative conventional content analysis was conducted. Throughout the process of this review, we partnered with a Sibling Youth Advisory Council.Results: The systematic search yielded 1,628 non-duplicate documents, of which 163 documents met the inclusion criteria. Of the total of 163 documents, they were delivered in the following formats: 17 (10%) general informational products (e.g., booklets, videos) about a CHC and sibling relationships, 39 about support programs and workshops (24%), 34 news articles (21%) that described the roles of siblings, and 6 (3%) healthcare management informational products (e.g., toolkit, tipsheets), 31 blogs (19%) and 39 interviews (24%) with parents and siblings. In the blogs and interviews, siblings and parents described how siblings developed knowledge and skills for healthcare management, as well as their role and identity over time.Significance: This study identified that there are limited resources available about healthcare management for siblings of CHC in Canada. Resources are needed to facilitate conversations in the family about the role of siblings with healthcare management of their sibling with a CHC.


Author(s):  
Christina E. Miyawaki ◽  
Erin D. Bouldin ◽  
Christopher A. Taylor ◽  
Lisa C. McGuire

One in four Baby Boomers fills the informal caregiver role in the United States. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of Baby Boomers who are informal caregivers for people living with dementia and compare their physical and mental health status to caregivers for persons with conditions other than dementia using 2015–2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data (N = 10,602). We identified caregiving status (assisting a family member/friend with a long-term illness or disability in the past month, managing personal care, and not caring for a child/grandchild) and whether the care recipient’s major health condition was dementia. We calculated weighted estimates and used chi-square tests and log-binomial regression for comparisons of selected characteristics. Among Baby Boomer caregivers, 15.4% were caring for someone with dementia. Dementia caregivers were more likely to be female, caring for a parent/parent-in-law, and providing care longer than caregivers for persons without dementia. After adjusting for sociodemographic and caregiving characteristics, the prevalence of fair/poor health, frequent mental distress, and chronic conditions were similar across types of caregivers. Although no differences in caregiver’s physical and mental health by care recipient’s dementia status were found, we should underscore the importance of maintaining Baby Boomer caregivers’ health and well-being.


2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 462-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Ferro

Background.Despite the considerable physical, emotional and social change that occurs during emerging adulthood, there is little research that examines the association between having a chronic health condition and mental disorder during this developmental period. The aims of this study were to examine the sex-specific prevalence of lifetime mental disorder in an epidemiological sample of emerging adults aged 15–30 years with and without chronic health conditions; quantify the association between chronic health conditions and mental disorder, adjusting for sociodemographic and health factors; and, examine potential moderating and mediating effects of sex, level of disability and pain.Method.Data come from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health. Respondents were 15–30 years of age (n = 5947) and self-reported whether they had a chronic health condition. Chronic health conditions were classified as: respiratory, musculoskeletal/connective tissue, cardiovascular, neurological and endocrine/digestive. The World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 was used to assess the presence of mental disorder (major depressive disorder, suicidal behaviour, bipolar disorder and generalised anxiety disorder).Results.Lifetime prevalence of mental disorder was significantly higher for individuals with chronic health conditions compared with healthy controls. Substantial heterogeneity in the prevalence of mental disorder was found in males, but not in females. Logistic regression models adjusting for several sociodemographic and health factors showed that the individuals with chronic health conditions were at elevated risk for mental disorder. There was no evidence that the level of disability or pain moderated the associations between chronic health conditions and mental disorder. Sex was found to moderate the association between musculoskeletal/connective tissue conditions and bipolar disorder (β = 1.71, p = 0.002). Exploratory analyses suggest that the levels of disability and pain mediate the association between chronic health conditions and mental disorder.Conclusions.Physical and mental comorbidity is prevalent among emerging adults and this relationship is not augmented, but may be mediated, by the level of disability or pain. Findings point to the integration and coordination of public sectors – health, education and social services – to facilitate the prevention and reduction of mental disorder among emerging adults with chronic health conditions.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 105 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 277-285
Author(s):  
Ellen C. Perrin ◽  
Corinne Lewkowicz ◽  
Martin H. Young

Objective. These analyses were undertaken to investigate the number and types of services and assistance believed to be useful to children with a chronic health condition and their families. The perspective of mothers, fathers, and primary care physicians were sought separately and compared. Methods. Families that include at least 1 child with a chronic health condition were selected from pediatric practices in Central Massachusetts. All 3 respondents completed a questionnaire describing their own perspective of current needs and of the severity of the child's condition. The 3 perspectives are compared statistically and areas of agreement/disagreement are described. Results. Mothers, fathers, and physicians described children's and families' needs with a surprising degree of concordance. On the other hand, pediatricians identified fewer needs, despite rating the severity of children's illnesses as greater than did parents. Mothers and fathers agreed substantially about the level of severity of their child's condition and about their unmet needs. Conclusions. It is important that pediatric practice systems include effective mechanisms to assess parents' opinions regarding the unmet needs of their child/family in the face of a child with a chronic health condition. Without input from families, pediatricians are aware of only some of the needs that parents identify. Pediatrics 2000;105:277–285;children, chronic health condition.


Researchers and healthcare policy analysts have called for systemic change in healthcare systems, because those systems typically do not incorporate long-term planning of chronic health condition care. There is an international movement to create comprehensive, integrated healthcare models that can better assist individuals who have chronic health conditions. This chapter includes a discussion of the definition of self-management support (SMS) and how it is different from self-management, a description of the typical components of SMS interventions, how SMS is different than disease management programs, and some examples of SMS programs. This chapter also covers several systemic models of self-management, including the Chronic Care Model and the Innovative Care for the Chronic Conditions Framework. It ends with brief sections on the economic reasons to promote SMS and integrated healthcare and on the future of self-management.


2005 ◽  
Vol 18 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 46-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra Creedy ◽  
Dianne Collis ◽  
Tracey Ludlow ◽  
Shelli Cosgrove ◽  
Kym Houston ◽  
...  

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