Ng Yee To, Freedman Vicki, Kratz Anna, Birditt Kira
Institute for Social Research, Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2025 Jan 17;80(2). doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbae198.
Limited research has explored caregivers' activities beyond caregiving duties, which may offer positive experiences and counterbalance caregiving stress. This study aimed to (a) identify the most pleasant non-caregiving activities, (b) assess time allocation based on activity categories and pleasantness, and (c) investigate the association between activity pleasantness and duration, considering differences between caregivers to older adults with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) and those without.
This study included 2,136 caregivers (33% ADRD) from the 2017 National Study of Caregiving who participated in a time diary interview. Participants reported all activities from the previous day, including their pleasantness appraisal and duration.
Weighted descriptives showed organizational activities (e.g., religious practices) were rated as the most pleasant, followed by active leisure (e.g., sports), for both ADRD and non-ADRD caregivers. Caregivers spent most time on non-active leisure (e.g., TV viewing), with about 10.6 hr daily on pleasant non-caregiving activities and 35 min on unpleasant ones. Weighted linear regression models indicated that both groups reported comparable pleasantness ratings for various activities and allocated similar amounts of time to activities based on categories and pleasantness. For non-ADRD caregivers, greater activity pleasantness was temporarily linked to longer durations.
This study enhances understanding of caregivers' appraisals and time spent on non-caregiving activities. Although ADRD caregiving is more stressful than non-ADRD caregiving, no spillover effect was observed on the pleasantness ratings or time spent on non-caregiving activities. However, ADRD caregivers may encounter challenges in sustaining pleasant activities over time.
有限的研究探讨了照顾者在照顾职责之外的活动，这些活动可能带来积极体验并抵消照顾压力。本研究旨在：(a) 确定最令人愉快的非照顾活动；(b) 根据活动类别和愉悦程度评估时间分配；(c) 考虑照顾患有阿尔茨海默病及相关痴呆症（ADRD）的老年人的照顾者与未照顾此类患者的照顾者之间的差异，研究活动愉悦程度与持续时间之间的关联。
本研究纳入了2017年全国照顾研究中的2136名照顾者（33%为ADRD照顾者），他们参与了时间日记访谈。参与者报告了前一天的所有活动，包括他们对活动愉悦程度的评价和持续时间。
加权描述性统计显示，组织活动（如宗教活动）被评为最令人愉快的活动，其次是积极休闲活动（如运动），ADRD和非ADRD照顾者均如此。照顾者花在非积极休闲活动（如看电视）上的时间最多，每天花在令人愉快的非照顾活动上的时间约为10.6小时，花在不愉快活动上的时间为35分钟。加权线性回归模型表明，两组对各种活动的愉悦程度评价相当，并且根据活动类别和愉悦程度分配给活动的时间相似。对于非ADRD照顾者，更高的活动愉悦程度与更长的持续时间暂时相关。
本研究增进了我们对照顾者对非照顾活动的评价和所花费时间的理解。尽管照顾ADRD患者比照顾非ADRD患者压力更大，但在愉悦程度评价或非照顾活动所花费的时间上未观察到溢出效应。然而，ADRD照顾者可能在长期维持愉快活动方面面临挑战。
