Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2018 Jul 19;13(7):e0200777. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200777. eCollection 2018.
The aim was to investigate associations between caregiving and adiposity using a representative UK longitudinal study. We also investigated whether associations differed by age, gender and caregiving characteristics.
Data on 9,421 participants aged 16+ from three waves (2009-2012) of the UK Household Longitudinal Study were used. Body mass index, waist circumference and percentage body fat were assessed. Caregiving and caregiving characteristics (hours per week, number of people cared for, co-resident caregiving and combining working and caregiving) was available from the prior wave. Gender-stratified associations between caregiving/caregiving characteristics with adiposity were tested. Covariates included caregiver's health, socioeconomic position, parenthood and partnerships.
Caregiving was associated with higher adiposity for women but not men. Younger women caregivers had particularly higher levels of adiposity. Men combining part-time paid work with caregiving had higher levels of adiposity than men working full-time and not caregiving. Women aged 16-44 or 65+ had particularly high levels of adiposity when combining full-time work and caregiving, compared to full-time work alone.
The health of caregivers should be a public health priority, particularly for younger women and those combining paid work with caregiving responsibilities.
本研究旨在通过一项具有代表性的英国纵向研究，调查照料与肥胖之间的关联。我们还调查了这些关联是否因年龄、性别和照料特征的不同而有所差异。
该研究使用了英国家庭纵向研究（UK Household Longitudinal Study）三个时间点（2009-2012 年）中 9421 名 16 岁及以上参与者的数据。评估了参与者的体重指数、腰围和体脂百分比。上一个时间点收集了照料和照料特征（每周工作时间、照顾人数、共同居住的照料和工作与照料相结合）的数据。分别测试了性别分层下照料/照料特征与肥胖之间的关联。协变量包括照顾者的健康状况、社会经济地位、是否为人父母和是否有伴侣。
对于女性，而不是男性，照料与肥胖之间存在关联。年轻的女性照料者肥胖程度尤其高。与全职工作且不照料的男性相比，兼职工作同时照料的男性肥胖程度更高。与仅全职工作相比，年龄在 16-44 岁或 65 岁及以上的女性在全职工作和照料相结合时肥胖程度特别高。
应将照料者的健康作为公共卫生的重点，特别是对于年轻女性和那些将有偿工作与照料责任相结合的人。
