National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Building 62, Mills Rd, Acton 2601, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
BMC Public Health. 2012 Dec 26;12:1111. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-1111.
Caregivers constitute an important informal workforce, often undervalued, facing challenges to maintain their caring role, health and wellbeing. Little is known about caregivers in middle-income countries like Thailand. This study investigates the physical and mental health of Thai adult caregivers.
This report derives from distance-learning students working and residing throughout Thailand and recruited for a health-risk transition study in 2005 (N=87,134) from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. The cohort follow-up questionnaire in 2009 (N = 60,569) includes questions on caregiver status which were not available in 2005; accordingly, this study is confined to analysis of the 2009 data. We report cross-sectional associations between caregiver status and health.
Among the study participants in 2009, 27.5% reported being part-time caregivers and 6.6% reported being full-time caregivers. Compared to male non-caregivers, being a part-time or full-time male caregiver was associated with lower back pain (covariate-Adjusted Odds Ratios, AOR 1.36 and 1.67), with poor psychological health (AOR 1.16 and 1.68), but not with poor self-assessed health. Compared to female non-caregivers, being a part- or full-time female caregiver was associated with lower back pain (AOR 1.47 and 1.84), psychological distress (AOR 1.32 and 1.52), and poor self-assessed health (AOR 1.21 and 1.34).
Adult caregivers in Thailand experienced a consistent adverse physical and mental health burden. A dose-response effect was evident, with odds ratios higher for full-time caregivers than for part-time, and non-caregivers. Our findings should raise awareness of caregivers, their unmet needs, and support required in Thailand and other similar middle-income countries.
照顾者构成了重要的非正式劳动力，他们往往被低估，面临维持照顾角色、健康和幸福感的挑战。在泰国等中等收入国家，人们对照顾者知之甚少。本研究调查了泰国成年照顾者的身心健康。
本报告源自在泰国各地工作和居住的远程学习学生，他们于 2005 年（N=87134）参加了苏可泰·塔玛提拉特开放大学的健康风险转型研究。2009 年的队列随访问卷（N=60569）包括 2005 年没有的照顾者状况问题；因此，本研究仅限于分析 2009 年的数据。我们报告了照顾者状况与健康之间的横断面关联。
在 2009 年的研究参与者中，27.5%的人报告是兼职照顾者，6.6%的人报告是全职照顾者。与男性非照顾者相比，作为兼职或全职男性照顾者与腰痛（调整后的协变量比值比，AOR 1.36 和 1.67）、心理健康状况不佳（AOR 1.16 和 1.68）相关，但与自我评估健康状况不佳无关。与女性非照顾者相比，作为兼职或全职女性照顾者与腰痛（AOR 1.47 和 1.84）、心理困扰（AOR 1.32 和 1.52）和自我评估健康状况不佳（AOR 1.21 和 1.34）相关。
泰国的成年照顾者经历了一致的不良身心健康负担。全职照顾者比兼职照顾者和非照顾者的比值比更高，表明存在剂量反应效应。我们的研究结果应引起泰国和其他类似中等收入国家对照顾者及其未满足的需求和支持的关注。
