Exploring Changes in Caregiver Burden and Caregiving Intensity due toCOVID-19

摘要

This study explored self-reported changes in caregiving intensity (CI) andcaregiver burden (CB) among informal caregivers due to the COVID-19 pandemicoverall and by gender. Informal caregivers for someone age 50+ completed asurvey via Amazon’s MTurk in June 2020. Participants reported changes in CI andCB due to COVID-19 and provided demographic information. Multinomial logisticregression models assessed changes in CI and CB attributed to the COVID-19pandemic overall and by gender. The sample (n = 835) was 68.5%male and had an average age of 34 years (SD 9.8); 55.7% hadincreased CI, and 53.1% had increased CB attributed to the pandemic. IncreasedCB due to COVID-19 was associated with increased CI (OR 5.67, 95% CI 3.92–8.00).Male caregivers with decreased CI due to COVID-19 were nearly seven times aslikely as those with no change in CI to have reduced CB due to COVID-19 (OR6.91, 95% CI 3.29–14.52). Women with decreased CI due to COVID-19 were overeight times as likely to have reduced CB due to COVID (OR 8.30, 95% CI2.66–25.91). Results indicate that many caregivers experienced increases in CIand CB since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that these changes arecomplex and vary by gender.