Department of Health Sciences, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Krems, Austria.
Duervation, Krems, Austria.
BMC Geriatr. 2022 May 21;22(1):445. doi: 10.1186/s12877-022-03124-1.
Population ageing leads to a noticeable increase in demand for informal care. Informal caregivers experience high caregiver burden, such as restricted subjective health and well-being. Occupational balance is associated with subjective health and well-being. However, associations between occupational balance and subjective health and well-being of informal caregivers of older persons have not been investigated yet. Thus, the objective of this study was to explore associations between occupational balance and subjective health and well-being of informal caregivers of older persons.
From September 2016 to July 2020, a cross-sectional multicenter study design was employed in Austria. Informal caregivers' occupational balance, subjective health, and well-being as well as comorbidity of persons to be cared for were assessed with seven self-reported questionnaires. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients r were calculated to determine associations between occupational balance and subjective health and well-being of informal caregivers of older persons.
In total 118 informal caregivers, 102 (86%) female, and their persons to be cared for, 70 (59%) female, were considered for analyses. Median age was 58 years for informal caregivers and 81 years for persons to be cared for. Informal caregivers reported restrictions in occupational balance, subjective health, and well-being. Persons to be cared for showed comorbid health conditions. Significant associations between occupational balance and determinants of subjective health and well-being were identified (r - 0.30 - 0.69; p ≤ 0.01).
As population ageing and the demand for informal care progress, efforts to support informal caregivers and to strengthen their occupational balance, subjective health and well-being are vital.
人口老龄化导致对非正式护理的需求显著增加。非正式护理人员承受着较高的护理负担，如主观健康和幸福感受限。职业平衡与主观健康和幸福感相关。然而，职业平衡与老年人非正式护理人员的主观健康和幸福感之间的关联尚未得到研究。因此，本研究的目的是探讨职业平衡与老年人非正式护理人员的主观健康和幸福感之间的关联。
2016 年 9 月至 2020 年 7 月，在奥地利采用了横断面多中心研究设计。使用 7 份自我报告问卷评估了非正式护理人员的职业平衡、主观健康和幸福感以及被照顾者的合并症。计算 Spearman 等级相关系数 r，以确定老年人非正式护理人员的职业平衡与主观健康和幸福感之间的关联。
共有 118 名非正式护理人员（102 名，86%为女性）及其被照顾者（70 名，59%为女性）被纳入分析。非正式护理人员的平均年龄为 58 岁，被照顾者的平均年龄为 81 岁。非正式护理人员报告职业平衡、主观健康和幸福感受限。被照顾者有合并健康状况。职业平衡与主观健康和幸福感的决定因素之间存在显著关联（r=-0.30 至 0.69；p≤0.01）。
随着人口老龄化和对非正式护理的需求增加，支持非正式护理人员并加强他们的职业平衡、主观健康和幸福感至关重要。
