Wang Jun, Liu Weichu, Li Xuelian, Ma Yingzhuo, Zhao Qinghua, Lü Yang, Xiao Mingzhao
Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Innov Aging. 2024 Apr 26;8(6):igae040. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igae040. eCollection 2024.
Social networks are crucial to personal health, particularly among caregivers of individuals with dementia; however, different types of social networks among caregivers of those with dementia and how these differences are associated with caregiver burden and positive appraisal, remain underexamined. This study aims to depict dementia caregivers' social network types, related factors, and impact on caregiving experiences.
A questionnaire-based survey was conducted with a total of 237 family caregivers of individuals with dementia nested additional semistructured interviews conducted with 14 caregivers in Chongqing, China. A quantitative study was designed to collect data on personal and situational information, social networks, caregiver burden, and positive aspects of caregiving. Qualitative data were collected via semistructured interviews. Latent class analysis and multivariate regression analyses were applied to quantitative data, and inductive content analysis to qualitative data.
The 3 social network types-family-limited ( = 39, 16.46%), family-dominant ( = 99, 41.77%), and diverse network ( = 99, 41.77%)-differed in age and sex of caregivers and individuals with dementia, stage of dementia, and caregiving intensity. Caregivers in family-dominant networks had a lower caregiver burden (β= -0.299, = .003) and greater positive aspects of caregiving (β= 0.228, = .021) than those in family-limited networks. Three themes-accessibility, reciprocity, and reliance-emerged as facilitators and barriers when asking for support. Caregivers frequently cited the perception of economic, practical, and emotional support, yet reported a lack of adequate formal support from healthcare providers.
Family caregivers of individuals with dementia have different social network types that vary considerably among sociocultural contexts and perceive various types of support from social networks. Solid family networks and diverse social networks are contributors to long-term dementia care.
社交网络对个人健康至关重要，尤其是在痴呆症患者的照料者中；然而，痴呆症患者照料者的不同类型社交网络以及这些差异如何与照料者负担和积极评价相关联，仍未得到充分研究。本研究旨在描绘痴呆症照料者的社交网络类型、相关因素及其对照料体验的影响。
对237名痴呆症患者的家庭照料者进行了问卷调查，并在中国重庆对14名照料者进行了额外的半结构化访谈。定量研究旨在收集有关个人和情境信息、社交网络、照料者负担以及照料积极方面的数据。定性数据通过半结构化访谈收集。对定量数据应用潜在类别分析和多变量回归分析，对定性数据应用归纳性内容分析。
三种社交网络类型——家庭受限型（n = 39，16.46%）、家庭主导型（n = 99，41.77%）和多元网络型（n = 99，41.77%）——在照料者和痴呆症患者的年龄与性别、痴呆症阶段以及照料强度方面存在差异。与家庭受限型网络中的照料者相比，家庭主导型网络中的照料者照料负担更低（β = -0.299，p = .003），照料的积极方面更多（β = 0.228，p = .021）。在寻求支持时，可及性、互惠性和依赖性这三个主题成为促进因素和障碍。照料者经常提到经济、实际和情感支持的感受，但表示缺乏医疗保健提供者足够的正式支持。
痴呆症患者的家庭照料者有不同的社交网络类型，这些类型在社会文化背景中差异很大，并从社交网络中获得各种类型的支持。稳固的家庭网络和多元社交网络有助于长期照料痴呆症患者。
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