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Kim J, Dove MS, Dang JHT. Sociodemographic factors associated with HPV awareness/knowledge and cervical cancer screening behaviors among caregivers in the U.S. BMC Womens Health 2022; 22:335. [PMID: 35941594 PMCID: PMC9358833 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-022-01918-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Family caregivers may be at a higher risk for several chronic diseases, including cancer. Cervical cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer death among women. Despite family caregivers' vulnerability, the status of their HPV awareness, knowledge, and preventive health behaviors, including cervical cancer screening, has been understudied. Thus, this study aimed to examine the sociodemographic factors associated with HPV awareness and knowledge and adherence to the cervical cancer screening guidelines among caregivers in the U.S. METHODS Nationally representative cross-sectional survey data were obtained from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5, 2017-2020). Female caregivers aged 21-65 were included (N = 1190). Weighted multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with HPV awareness (heard of HPV), knowledge (HPV can cause cervical cancer), and adherence to the United States Preventive Service Task Force 2018 cervical cancer screening guidelines by sociodemographic factors (age, race/ethnicity, education, household income, marital status,) and the intensity of caregiving. RESULTS An estimated 79% of female caregivers were aware of HPV and 84% adhered to the cervical cancer screening guidelines. Caregivers who were older than 50 (OR = 3.62, 1.91-6.85, adherence of aged 21-50 vs. 51-65), Hispanics of race/ethnicity compared with Black/African Americans (OR = 3.14, 1.31-7.52, adherence of Black/African Americans vs. Hispanics), with a high school education or less (OR = 2.34, 1.14-4.82, adherence of Some college or more vs. High school education or less), and with intense caregiving duty (spending 35 h/week or more on caregiving) compared with light-duty (OR = 2.34, 1.10-5.00, adherence of 5-14 h vs. 35 h or more, weekly) had poor adherence to the cervical cancer screening guidelines. Caregivers who were older, racial minorities (Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native, Multiple races), and less educated showed lower HPV awareness (Heard of HPV) than their counterparts. CONCLUSIONS There are caregiving populations whose HPV awareness and cervical cancer screening adherence are low. To improve their awareness and knowledge of HPV and support their cervical cancer screening behaviors, we need to consider interventions that target those specific populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyeong Kim
- Division of Health Policy and Management, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, USA.
| | - Melanie S. Dove
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Division of Health Policy and Management, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, USA
| | - Julie H. T. Dang
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Division of Health Policy and Management, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, USA
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Factors associated with receipt of mammogram among caregivers: a comparison with non-caregivers. BMC WOMENS HEALTH 2020; 20:216. [PMID: 32993760 PMCID: PMC7526366 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-020-01079-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND caregiving responsibilities significantly impact females' decisions on adhering to preventive mammography. The purpose of this study is to examine (1) the levels of mammogram receipt, (2) the role of caregiving factors on the receipt of mammogram in caregiving group, and (3) the role of cancer beliefs on mammogram screening in caregivers and non-caregivers. METHODS the 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) provides samples of 1228 women aged 40 to 75 years old for this secondary analysis. By using Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, a binomial logistic regression model was used to analyze associations between mammography and socioeconomic factors, caregiving factors, and cancer belief factors. RESULTS caregivers who provided more caregiving hours per week (OR = 0.749, 95% CI = 0.564-0.94) and caregivers who had the belief of rather not knowing the likelihood of getting cancer (OR = 0.673, 95% CI = 0.496-0.914) were less likely to use mammogram. However, caregivers who believed cancer is more common than heart disease (OR = 1.490, 95% CI = 1.302-2.151) were more likely to use a mammogram. Non-caregivers who worried about getting cancer (OR = 1.158, 95% CI = 0.793-1.691) were more likely to use mammogram, but non-caregivers who had the belief of rather not know the likelihood of getting cancer (OR = 0.825, 95% CI = 0.713-0.955) were less likely to use mammogram. CONCLUSIONS to support caregivers' breast cancer prevention, caregiving-related policies based on caregiving hours should be developed. Particularly, effort to promote breast cancer screening education and care support among older primary caregivers will likely increase their adherence to preventive mammography uptake. The development of targeted cancer prevention interventions on specific cancer beliefs held by both groups are also urgently needed to promote mammography.
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Whitney CA, Dorfman CS, Shelby RA, Keefe FJ, Gandhi V, Somers TJ. Reminders of cancer risk and pain catastrophizing: relationships with cancer worry and perceived risk in women with a first-degree relative with breast cancer. Fam Cancer 2019; 18:9-18. [PMID: 29679190 DOI: 10.1007/s10689-018-0082-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
First-degree relatives of women with breast cancer may experience increased worry or perceived risk when faced with reminders of their own cancer risk. Worry and risk reminders may include physical symptoms (e.g., persistent breast pain) and caregiving experiences. Women who engage in pain catastrophizing may be particularly likely to experience increased distress when risk reminders are present. We examined the degree to which persistent breast pain and experience as a cancer caregiver were related to cancer worry and perceived risk in first-degree relatives of women with breast cancer (N = 85) and how catastrophic thoughts about breast pain could impact these relationships. There was a significant interaction between persistent breast pain and pain catastrophizing in predicting cancer worry (p = .03); among women who engaged in pain catastrophizing, cancer worry remained high even in the absence of breast pain. Pain catastrophizing also moderated the relationships between caregiving involvement and cancer worry (p = .003) and perceived risk (p = .03). As the degree of caregiving responsibility increased, cancer worry and perceived risk increased for women who engaged in pain catastrophizing; levels of cancer worry and perceived risk remained low and stable for women who did not engage in pain catastrophizing regardless of caregiving experience. The results suggest that first-degree relatives of breast cancer survivors who engage in pain catastrophizing may experience greater cancer worry and perceived risk and may benefit from interventions aimed at reducing catastrophic thoughts about pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colette A Whitney
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, 2200 W. Main Street, Suite 340, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Caroline S Dorfman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, 2200 W. Main Street, Suite 340, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Rebecca A Shelby
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, 2200 W. Main Street, Suite 340, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Francis J Keefe
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, 2200 W. Main Street, Suite 340, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Vicky Gandhi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, 2200 W. Main Street, Suite 340, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Tamara J Somers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, 2200 W. Main Street, Suite 340, Durham, NC, 27705, USA.
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Sugiyama T, Tamiya N, Watanabe T, Wakui T, Shibayama T, Moriyama Y, Yamaoka Y, Noguchi H. Association of care recipients' care-need level with family caregiver participation in health check-ups in Japan. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 18:26-32. [PMID: 28776904 DOI: 10.1111/ggi.13131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIM The public mandatory long-term care insurance system in Japan has supposedly mitigated the care burden for family caregivers of older adults, whereas family caregivers still play a considerable role in providing care. The effect of informal caregiving on the caregiver's health has been of great interest. We investigated the relationship between the amplitude of informal caregiving and caregiver participation in health check-ups in Japan. METHODS The present study was a cross-sectional analysis of nationally representative data in Japan (2010 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions). We investigated the relationship between care recipients' care-need level and in-home caregiver participation in health check-ups during the last year of the survey for caregivers. RESULTS A total of 3354 caregiver/recipient pairs were included in the study. Crude proportions of caregivers completing a health check-up by care-need level were 68.4% (support required 1 and 2), 63.5% (care required 1-3) and 60.3% (care required 4 and 5). Higher care-need level was negatively associated with caregiver participation in health check-ups (support required 1 and 2as reference, care required 1-3: odds ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.75-0.90), care required 4 and 5: odds ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.74-0.79) after adjustment for possible confounders. Inclusion of the caregiver time devoted to care per day and caregiver self-rating of health as independent variables did not change the result. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that facilitating health check-up participation for family caregivers of care recipients with higher care-need levels might be an effective intervention for decreasing the gap in health behavior possibly caused by informal caregiving. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 26-32.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takehiro Sugiyama
- Diabetes and Metabolism Information Center, Research Institute, Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Public Health/Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nanako Tamiya
- Department of Health Services Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Taeko Watanabe
- Department of Public Health/Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Health Services Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Tomoko Wakui
- Human Care Research Team, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Yoko Moriyama
- Department of Health Services Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.,Department of Health and Welfare Services, National Institute of Public Health, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yui Yamaoka
- Department of Health Services Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Haruko Noguchi
- Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
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Hoffman GJ, Hays RD, Wallace SP, Shapiro MF, Yakusheva O, Ettner SL. Receipt of Caregiving and Fall Risk in US Community-dwelling Older Adults. Med Care 2017; 55:371-378. [PMID: 27875481 PMCID: PMC5352465 DOI: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Falls and fall-related injuries (FRI) are common and costly occurrences among older adults living in the community, with increased risk for those with physical and cognitive limitations. Caregivers provide support for older adults with physical functioning limitations, which are associated with fall risk. DESIGN Using the 2004-2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, we examined whether receipt of low (0-13 weekly hours) and high levels (≥14 weekly hours) of informal care or any formal care is associated with lower risk of falls and FRIs among community-dwelling older adults. We additionally tested whether serious physical functioning (≥3 activities of daily living) or cognitive limitations moderated this relationship. RESULTS Caregiving receipt categories were jointly significant in predicting noninjurious falls (P=0.03) but not FRIs (P=0.30). High levels of informal care category (P=0.001) and formal care (P<0.001) had stronger associations with reduced fall risk relative to low levels of informal care. Among individuals with ≥3 activities of daily living, fall risks were reduced by 21% for those receiving high levels of informal care; additionally, FRIs were reduced by 42% and 58% for those receiving high levels of informal care and any formal care. High levels of informal care receipt were also associated with a 54% FRI risk reduction among the cognitively impaired. CONCLUSIONS Fall risk reductions among older adults occurred predominantly among those with significant physical and cognitive limitations. Accordingly, policy efforts involving fall prevention should target populations with increased physical functioning and cognitive limitations. They should also reduce financial barriers to informal and formal caregiving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey J Hoffman
- *Department of Systems, Populations and Leadership, University of Michigan School of Nursing, Ann Arbor, MI †UCLA Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research ‡Department of Community Health Sciences §Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
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Capistrant BD. Caregiving for Older Adults and the Caregivers’ Health: an Epidemiologic Review. CURR EPIDEMIOL REP 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s40471-016-0064-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Caregiving burden and health-promoting behaviors among the family caregivers of cancer patients. Eur J Oncol Nurs 2015; 19:174-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejon.2014.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Revised: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 09/23/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Kelley AS, Langa KM, Smith AK, Cagle J, Ornstein K, Silveira MJ, Nicholas L, Covinsky KE, Ritchie CS. Leveraging the health and retirement study to advance palliative care research. J Palliat Med 2014; 17:506-11. [PMID: 24694096 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2013.0648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The critical need to expand and develop the palliative care evidence base was recently highlighted by the Journal of Palliative Medicine's series of articles describing the Research Priorities in Geriatric Palliative Care. The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is uniquely positioned to address many priority areas of palliative care research. This nationally representative, ongoing, longitudinal study collects detailed survey data every 2 years, including demographics, health and functional characteristics, information on family and caregivers, and personal finances, and also conducts a proxy interview after each subject's death. The HRS can also be linked with Medicare claims data and many other data sources, e.g., U.S. Census, Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care. SETTING While the HRS offers innumerable research opportunities, these data are complex and limitations do exist. Therefore, we assembled an interdisciplinary group of investigators using the HRS for palliative care research to identify the key palliative care research gaps that may be amenable to study within the HRS and the strengths and weaknesses of the HRS for each of these topic areas. CONCLUSION In this article we present the work of this group as a potential roadmap for investigators contemplating the use of HRS data for palliative care research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy S Kelley
- 1 Brookdale Depratment of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York
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Reeves KW, Bacon K, Fredman L. Caregiving associated with selected cancer risk behaviors and screening utilization among women: cross-sectional results of the 2009 BRFSS. BMC Public Health 2012; 12:685. [PMID: 22908937 PMCID: PMC3499215 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2012] [Accepted: 08/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Informal caregiving is increasingly common as the U.S. population ages, and there is concern that caregivers are less likely than non-caregivers to practice health-promoting behaviors, including cancer screening. We examined caregiving effects on cancer risk behaviors and breast and cervical cancer screening in the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. METHODS Women age ≥ 41 with data on breast and cervical cancer screening were included (weighted frequency 3,478,000 women). Cancer screening was classified according to American Cancer Society guidelines. We evaluated the association of caregiving with cancer risk behaviors (obesity, physical activity, alcohol intake, smoking status, and fruit/vegetable consumption) and cancer screening (mammography, clinical breast exam [CBE], and Pap test) using logistic regression overall and with stratification on age (<65, ≥ 65) or race (white, non-white). RESULTS Caregivers had greater odds of being obese, physically active, and current smokers. Subgroup analyses revealed that caregiving was associated with obesity in younger women and whites, and with less obesity in older women. Also, caregiving was associated with smoking only among younger women and non-whites. Caregivers had greater odds of ever having had a mammogram or CBE, yet there was no association with mammogram, CBE, or Pap test within guidelines. CONCLUSIONS Caregiving was associated with some health behaviors that increase cancer risk, yet not with cancer screening within guidelines. Effects of caregiving by age and race require confirmation by additional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine W Reeves
- Department of Public Health, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 410 Arnold House, 715 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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Shrank WH, Liberman JN, Fischer MA, Kilabuk E, Girdish C, Cutrona S, Brennan T, Choudhry NK. Are caregivers adherent to their own medications? J Am Pharm Assoc (2003) 2011; 51:492-8. [DOI: 10.1331/japha.2011.10006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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McEwen LN, Kim C, Ettner SL, Herman WH, Karter AJ, Beckles GL, Brown AF. Competing demands for time and self-care behaviors, processes of care, and intermediate outcomes among people with diabetes: Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD). Diabetes Care 2011; 34:1180-2. [PMID: 21464464 PMCID: PMC3114509 DOI: 10.2337/dc10-2038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether competing demands for time affect diabetes self-care behaviors, processes of care, and intermediate outcomes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We used survey and medical record data from 5,478 participants in Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD) and hierarchical regression models to examine the cross-sectional associations between competing demands for time and diabetes outcomes, including self-management, processes of care, and intermediate health outcomes. RESULTS Fifty-two percent of participants reported no competing demands, 7% reported caregiving responsibilities only, 36% reported employment responsibilities only, and 6% reported both caregiving and employment responsibilities. For both women and men, employment responsibilities (with or without caregiving responsibilities) were associated with lower rates of diabetes self-care behaviors, worse processes of care, and, in men, worse HbA(1c). CONCLUSIONS Accommodations for competing demands for time may promote self-management and improve the processes and outcomes of care for employed adults with diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N McEwen
- Department of Internal Medicine,University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
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Son KY, Park SM, Lee CH, Choi GJ, Lee D, Jo S, Lee SH, Cho B. Behavioral risk factors and use of preventive screening services among spousal caregivers of cancer patients. Support Care Cancer 2010; 19:919-27. [PMID: 20445996 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-010-0889-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2009] [Accepted: 04/19/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Caregiving of cancer patients is burdensome and is likely to affect health behavior and outcome of caregivers. However, there are only a small number of studies on lifestyle behavior and use of preventive services by caregivers of cancer patients, especially in Asian populations. The aim of this study was to compare the status of lifestyle behavior and use of preventive services in spousal caregivers of cancer patients and controls. METHODS One hundred pairs of cancer patients and their spousal caregivers who visited the Cancer Daycare Center of Seoul National University Hospital were requested to fill out constructed self-administered questionnaires. Four age- and sex-matched controls were selected randomly for each caregiver from the Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey III (KNHANES III) (n = 400) in order to compare adherence to recommended health behavior and use of preventive services. RESULTS Compared to controls, caregivers were more likely to receive all types of cancer screening: gastric (adjusted proportion, 53.8% vs 37.1%, p = 0.011), colorectal (adjusted proportion, 54.3% vs 20.5%, p = 0.002), cervical (adjusted proportion, 66.4% vs 46.5%, p = 0.006), and breast cancer (adjusted proportion, 62.9% vs 40.6%, p = 0.003). However, no differences were observed for health risk behaviors (current smoking, high-risk drinking, and physical inactivity) and screening for chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolemia). CONCLUSION Although spousal caregivers of cancer patients were more likely to use cancer screening services, their health behavior with regard to other aspects were not different from controls. There is a need to improve other types of health behaviors, especially lifestyle behavior, and balance these with cancer screenings in caregivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki Young Son
- Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehangno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-744, South Korea
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Brown SL, Smith DM, Schulz R, Kabeto MU, Ubel PA, Poulin M, Yi J, Kim C, Langa KM. Caregiving behavior is associated with decreased mortality risk. Psychol Sci 2009; 20:488-94. [PMID: 19320860 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02323.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditional investigations of caregiving link it to increased caregiver morbidity and mortality, but do not disentangle the effects of providing care from those of being continuously exposed to an ailing loved one with serious health problems. We explored this possible confound in a national, longitudinal survey of elderly married individuals (N= 3,376). Results showed that spending at least 14 hr per week providing care to a spouse predicted decreased mortality for the caregiver, independently of behavioral and cognitive limitations of the care recipient (spouse), and of other demographic and health variables. These findings suggest that it may be premature to conclude that health risks for caregivers are due to providing active help. Indeed, under some circumstances, caregivers may actually benefit from providing care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L Brown
- VA Health Services Research & Development Center of Excellence, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
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Morris AM, Billingsley KG, Hayanga AJ, Matthews B, Baldwin LM, Birkmeyer JD. Residual treatment disparities after oncology referral for rectal cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 2008; 100:738-44. [PMID: 18477800 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djn145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Black patients with rectal cancer are considerably less likely than white patients to receive adjuvant therapy. We examined the hypothesis that the lower treatment rate for blacks is due to underreferral to medical and radiation oncologists. METHODS We used 1992-1999 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data to identify elderly (> or = 66 years of age) patients who had been hospitalized for resection of stage II or III rectal cancer (n = 2716). We used chi(2) tests to examine associations between race and 1) consultation with an oncologist and 2) receipt of adjuvant therapy. We then used logistic regression to analyze the influence of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics (age at diagnosis, sex, marital status, median income and education in area of residence, comorbidity, and cancer stage) on black-white differences in the receipt of adjuvant therapy. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference between the 134 black patients and the 2582 white patients in the frequency of consultation with a medical oncologist (73.1% for blacks vs 74.9% for whites, difference = 1.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = > 5.9% to 9.5%, P = .64) or radiation oncologist (56.7% vs 64.8%, difference = 8.1%, 95% CI = > 0.5% to 16.7%, P = .06), but blacks were less likely than whites to consult with both a medical oncologist and a radiation oncologist (49.2% vs 58.8%, difference = 9.6%, 95% CI = 0.9% to 18.2%, P = .03). Among patients who saw an oncologist, black patients were less likely than white patients to receive chemotherapy (54.1% vs 70.2%, difference = 16.1%, 95% CI = 6.0% to 26.2%, P = .006), radiation therapy (73.7% vs 83.4%, difference = 9.7%, 95% CI = 0.4% to 19.8%, P = .06), or both (60.6% vs 76.9%, difference = 16.3%, 95% CI = 4.3% to 28.3%, P = .008). Patient and provider characteristics had minimal influence on the racial disparity in the use of adjuvant therapy. CONCLUSION Racial differences in oncologist consultation rates do not explain disparities in the use of adjuvant treatment for rectal cancer. A better understanding of patient preferences, patient-provider interactions, and potential influences on provider decision making is necessary to develop strategies to increase the use of adjuvant treatment for rectal cancer among black patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arden M Morris
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Center Dr, TC-5343, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0331, USA.
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