Bratches Reed Wr, Puga Frank, Barr Paul J, Leggett Amanda N, Masel Meredith, Odom James Nicholas, Jablonski Rita
School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1701 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, United States, 1 205 934 5428.
Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States.
Interact J Med Res. 2025 May 22;14:e64499. doi: 10.2196/64499.
Family caregivers commonly help manage medications taken by persons living with dementia. Recent work has highlighted the importance of caregiver networks, which are multiple caregivers managing care for a single person, on managing care for persons living with dementia, especially medication management. However, less is known about the composition of caregiver networks.
The objective of this analysis was to describe the composition of caregiver networks that manage medications, the factors associated with helping with medications within caregiver networks, and whether racial or ethnic differences exist in caregiver network composition.
This cross-sectional secondary analysis used data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) "other person" files from 2011 to 2022. Descriptive statistics were calculated for caregivers who were identified as helping manage medications for a person with dementia. Mixed-effect logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with helping with medications among caregiver networks, with odds ratios converted to predicted probabilities using marginal standardization. A P value of .05 or less was considered statistically significant. Secondary analysis was stratified by race and ethnicity due to identified cultural differences in living situation and overall caregiver network composition.
A total of 15,809 caregivers were analyzed. Of those, 3048 (19.2%) managed medications for persons living with dementia. Caregiver networks that manage medications tend to include a spouse or partner and child, at least one of whom has a college degree. Every person with dementia reported at least 1 person who managed their medications. White persons with dementia had an average of 2.4 (range 1-9) people who managed medications, while Black or African American persons with dementia had an average of 2.8 (range 1-9) and Hispanic or Latino persons with dementia had an average of 2.9 (range 1-8) people who managed medications. Spouses were most likely to manage medications across all racial and ethnic groups. In regression modeling, female gender (predicted probability [PP] 15%, 95% CI 13%-17%; P<.001), Black or African American race (PP 7%, 95% CI 4%-10%; P<.001), and Hispanic ethnicity (PP 4%, 95% CI 1%-9%; P=.04) were associated with an increased probability of helping with medications.
The size and composition of caregiver networks that manage medications for persons living with dementia differ by race and ethnicity but typically includes at least 2 people, one of whom has a college degree. Helping with medications was more likely among non-White family caregivers, while White patients with dementia were more likely to use paid help to manage medications.
家庭照顾者通常会协助管理痴呆症患者所服用的药物。最近的研究强调了照顾者网络的重要性，即多个照顾者为同一个人提供护理，这对于管理痴呆症患者的护理，尤其是药物管理方面非常重要。然而，对于照顾者网络的构成了解较少。
本分析的目的是描述管理药物的照顾者网络的构成、照顾者网络中与协助用药相关的因素，以及照顾者网络构成中是否存在种族或民族差异。
这项横断面二次分析使用了2011年至2022年国家健康与老龄化趋势研究（NHATS）“其他人”文件中的数据。对被确定为帮助管理痴呆症患者药物的照顾者进行描述性统计。使用混合效应逻辑回归来确定照顾者网络中与协助用药相关的因素，并使用边际标准化将优势比转换为预测概率。P值小于或等于0.05被认为具有统计学意义。由于在生活状况和整体照顾者网络构成方面存在已确定的文化差异，因此二次分析按种族和民族进行分层。
总共分析了15809名照顾者。其中，3048名（19.2%）为痴呆症患者管理药物。管理药物的照顾者网络往往包括配偶或伴侣以及孩子，其中至少有一人拥有大学学位。每位痴呆症患者都报告至少有1人管理他们的药物。患有痴呆症的白人平均有2.4人（范围为1至9人）管理药物，而患有痴呆症的黑人或非裔美国人平均有2.8人（范围为1至9人），患有痴呆症的西班牙裔或拉丁裔平均有2.9人（范围为1至8人）管理药物。在所有种族和民族群体中，配偶最有可能管理药物。在回归模型中，女性（预测概率[PP]为15%，95%置信区间为13%至17%；P<0.001）、黑人或非裔美国人种族（PP为7%，95%置信区间为4%至10%；P<0.001）以及西班牙裔（PP为4%，95%置信区间为1%至9%；P=0.04）与协助用药的概率增加相关。
为痴呆症患者管理药物的照顾者网络的规模和构成因种族和民族而异，但通常至少包括2人，其中一人拥有大学学位。非白人家庭照顾者更有可能协助用药，而患有痴呆症的白人患者更有可能使用付费帮助来管理药物。
