Correlates of caregiver burden for Korean elders according to cognitive and functional status.

BACKGROUND: Caregiver strain was investigated in a community sample of Korean elders with cohabiting caregivers, and factors associated with this were compared between groups classified by cognitive and functional impairment.

METHODS: The study sample consisted of 484 elders and their cohabiting caregivers resident in Kwangju, South Korea. Caregiver burden was measured by the Zarit Burden Interview. Data on the elders' socio-demographics (age, gender, education, and religion) and clinical characteristics (cognitive function (MMSE), activities of daily living (IADL), depressive symptoms, alcoholism, and physical illness), and caregivers' socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, education, relation to elders, and current employment) and caregiving environments (living area, alternative caregiver, number of rooms, monthly income, and social network) were gathered. Participants were classified into those with (n=61) or without cognitive impairment. The second group was classified into those with (n=68) or without (n=355) functional impairment.

RESULTS: Caregiver strain was significantly associated with cognitive impairment. In the group without cognitive impairment, caregiver strain was significantly associated with participant characteristics (IADL impairment, and symptoms of depression and alcoholism). In those with cognitive impairment, caregiver strain was associated with both participant status (depressive symptoms and IADL impairment) and caregiver characteristics (a child caregiver, lower social support, and urban environment).

CONCLUSIONS: Individual mental and physical health characteristics predict caregiver strain regardless of cognitive impairment. Caregiver characteristics are most important in the presence of cognitive impairment.