Ice Gillian H, Zidron Amy, Juma Elizabeth
Department of Social Medicine, Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, 309 Grosvenor Hall, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
J Cross Cult Gerontol. 2008 Jun;23(2):111-29. doi: 10.1007/s10823-008-9063-9. Epub 2008 Apr 24.
The dramatic increase in the aging population in developed countries has led to an explosion of research on health and aging in the United States. Few studies, however, have been conducted in developing countries, even though many of these populations are experiencing a faster rate of growth in the 65+ population. Thus, although our knowledge of health and aging has increased, our knowledge of the variation in health as people age is limited. While the numbers of older adults is increasing in Africa, very little is known about the health and well-being of African elders. Recently, a growing number of researchers have focused on the plight of elders who find themselves caring for orphaned grandchildren. While several anecdotal reports have suggested that this new burden negatively impacts their health, there are few studies that systematically examine the health of African elders. As part of the Kenyan Grandparents Study, the health of 287 grandparents (age 73 +/- 8) was examined using multiple methods including objective measures, clinical history, physical examination, and a modified version of the SF-36. Although all health variables were correlated with each other, different patterns were found between predictor variables and the various measures of health. Caregiving status was only associated with mental health, with caregivers having better mental health than non-caregivers. Age was associated with poorer health as measured by several SF-36 scales, physical exam, and body mass index (BMI). Women generally had a greater number of health complaints and lower quality of life as measured by the SF-36. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with better health as measured by physical exam, clinical history, SF-36, and BMI. Caring for a greater number of orphans was associated with better health on examination but no other measure of health. More social support was associated with better physical function and general health as measured by the SF-36. These data suggest that there is no strong evidence that caregiving results in poor health.
发达国家老龄人口的急剧增加引发了美国对健康与老龄化研究的激增。然而，发展中国家开展的相关研究较少，尽管这些国家许多地区65岁及以上人口的增长速度更快。因此，虽然我们对健康与老龄化的了解有所增加，但对人们随着年龄增长健康状况的差异所知有限。在非洲，老年人数量不断增加，但对非洲老年人的健康和幸福状况却知之甚少。最近，越来越多的研究人员关注那些照顾孤儿孙辈的老年人的困境。虽然有几则轶事报道表明这种新负担对他们的健康产生了负面影响，但很少有研究系统地考察非洲老年人的健康状况。作为肯尼亚祖父母研究的一部分，采用多种方法对287名祖父母（年龄73±8岁）的健康状况进行了检查，包括客观测量、临床病史、体格检查以及SF-36的修订版。尽管所有健康变量之间都相互关联，但预测变量与各种健康指标之间发现了不同的模式。照顾状况仅与心理健康相关，照顾者的心理健康状况优于非照顾者。根据几个SF-36量表、体格检查和体重指数（BMI）衡量，年龄与较差的健康状况相关。按照SF-36衡量，女性通常有更多的健康问题且生活质量较低。根据体格检查、临床病史、SF-36和BMI衡量，较高的社会经济地位与较好的健康状况相关。照顾更多孤儿在检查时与较好的健康状况相关，但与其他健康指标无关。更多的社会支持与更好的身体功能以及按照SF-36衡量的总体健康状况相关。这些数据表明，没有有力证据表明照顾会导致健康状况不佳。
