Health-Related Quality of Life: A Comparative Analysis of Caregivers of People With Dementia, Cancer, COPD/Emphysema, and Diabetes and Noncaregivers, 2015–2018 BRFSS

Abstract

Background Many informal caregivers experience significant caregiving burden and report worsening health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Caregiver HRQoL may vary by disease context, but this has rarely been studied.

Purpose Informed by the Model of Carer Stress and Burden, we compared HRQoL outcomes of prevalent groups of caregivers of people with chronic illness (i.e., dementia, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD]/emphysema, and diabetes) and noncaregivers and examined whether caregiving intensity (e.g., duration and hours) was associated with caregiver HRQoL.

Methods Using 2015–2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, we identified caregivers of people with dementia (n = 4,513), cancer (n = 3,701), COPD/emphysema (n = 1,718), and diabetes (n = 2,504) and noncaregivers (n = 176,749). Regression analyses were used to compare groups.

Results Caregiver groups showed small, nonsignificant differences in HRQoL outcomes. Consistent with theory, all caregiver groups reported more mentally unhealthy days than noncaregivers (RRs = 1.29–1.61, ps < .001). Caregivers of people with cancer and COPD/emphysema reported more physically unhealthy days than noncaregivers (RRs = 1.17–1.24, ps < .01), and caregivers of people with diabetes reported a similar pattern (RR = 1.24, p = .01). However, general health and days of interference of poor health did not differ between caregivers and noncaregivers. Across caregiver groups, most caregiving intensity variables were unrelated to HRQoL outcomes; only greater caregiving hours were associated with more mentally unhealthy days (RR = 1.13, p < .001).

Conclusions Results suggest that HRQoL decrements associated with caregiving do not vary substantially across chronic illness contexts and are largely unrelated to the perceived intensity of the caregiving. Findings support the development and implementation of strategies to optimize caregiver health across illness contexts.