Centre for Socio-Economic Research on Ageing, INRCA IRCCS, Italian National Institute of Health & Science on Ageing, Ancona, Italy
Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Faculty of Economics "Giorgio Fuà", Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy.
BMJ Open. 2022 Apr 29;12(4):e059897. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059897.
Digital support services may provide informal caregivers with remote access to information and training about care issues. However, there is limited specific data on how factors such as demographics, socioeconomic resources and the caregiving context may influence caregivers' use of digital support services. The aim of this study is to identify associations between informal caregiver's characteristics and the use of the internet to access digital support services in two countries: Italy and Sweden.
A sample of 663 respondents who have access to the internet participated in a cross-sectional survey by completing the online questionnaire. Respondents were recruited by the Italian National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing and the Swedish Family Care Competence Centre.
Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess predictors of caregivers' frequent use of the internet to access digital support services.
Educational attainment (OR 3.649, 95% CI 1.424 to 9.350, p=0.007), hours per week spent caring (OR 2.928, 95% CI 1.481 to 5.791, p=0.002), total household income (OR 0.378, 95% CI 0.149 to 0.957, p=0.040), care recipient relationship to the caregiver (OR 2.895, 95% CI 1.037 to 8.083, p=0.042) and gender of care recipient (OR 0.575, 95% CI 0.356 to 0.928, p=0.023) were significant predictors in the multivariate analysis for the Italian caregivers group. Hours per week spent caring (OR 2.401, 95% CI 1.105 to 5.218, p=0.027) and age of caregiver (OR 2.237, 95% CI 1.150 to 4.352, p=0.018) were significant predictors in the multivariate analysis for the Swedish caregivers group.
Digital support services could be important tools to empower informal caregivers. When it comes to policy and practice in relation to caregivers, similarly to other broad vulnerable groups, there is no 'one-size-fits-all' approach, and it is therefore important to consider the specific characteristics and needs of both caregivers and care recipients.
数字支持服务可以为非专业护理人员提供远程访问护理问题信息和培训的途径。然而，关于人口统计学因素、社会经济资源和护理背景等因素如何影响护理人员使用数字支持服务的具体数据有限。本研究的目的是确定意大利和瑞典两个国家中，非专业护理人员的特征与使用互联网访问数字支持服务之间的关联。
本研究通过在线问卷完成了一项横断面调查，共招募了 663 名有上网条件的受访者。受访者由意大利国家卫生与科学老龄化研究所和瑞典家庭护理能力中心招募。
采用逻辑回归分析评估了护理人员频繁使用互联网访问数字支持服务的预测因素。
教育程度（OR 3.649，95%CI 1.424 至 9.350，p=0.007）、每周护理时间（OR 2.928，95%CI 1.481 至 5.791，p=0.002）、家庭总收入（OR 0.378，95%CI 0.149 至 0.957，p=0.040）、护理对象与护理人员的关系（OR 2.895，95%CI 1.037 至 8.083，p=0.042）和护理对象的性别（OR 0.575，95%CI 0.356 至 0.928，p=0.023）是意大利护理人员组多变量分析中的显著预测因素。每周护理时间（OR 2.401，95%CI 1.105 至 5.218，p=0.027）和护理人员年龄（OR 2.237，95%CI 1.150 至 4.352，p=0.018）是瑞典护理人员组多变量分析中的显著预测因素。
数字支持服务可能是增强非专业护理人员能力的重要工具。在与护理人员相关的政策和实践方面，与其他广泛的弱势群体一样，没有“一刀切”的方法，因此重要的是要考虑护理人员和护理对象的具体特征和需求。
