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Multifactorial Examination of Caregiver Burden in a National Sample of Family and Unpaid Caregivers
Riffin C, Van Ness PH, Wolff JL, Fried T.. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2018-11-19
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objectives To examine factors associated with caregiver burden from a multifactorial perspective by examining caregiver and care recipient characteristics and a full range of caregiving tasks. Design Nationally representative surveys of community-dwelling older adults and their family caregivers residing in the United States. Setting 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving. Participants Community-dwelling older adults and their family caregivers. Measurements Caregiver burden, comprising emotional, physical, and financial difficulties associated with caregiving. Results An estimated 14.9 million caregivers assisted 7.6 million care recipients. More than half of caregivers reported burden related to caregiving. In a multivariable regression model, caregivers who assisted with more activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, health management tasks, and health system logistics were more likely to experience burden, as were female caregivers, adult child caregivers, caregivers in poor health, caregivers with anxiety symptoms, and those using respite care. Dementia was the only care recipient characteristic associated with burden. Conclusion Caregiver characteristics and provision of caregiving tasks determine caregiver burden more than care recipient characteristics. Absence of an association between type of a care recipient's chronic conditions and burden, except for dementia, suggests that the tasks that caregivers who assist older adults with a variety of health conditions undertake shape the experience of caregiving. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:277-283, 2019.
Key findings
- Objectives To examine factors associated with caregiver burden from a multifactorial perspective by examining caregiver and care recipient characteristics and a full range of caregiving tasks.
- Measurements Caregiver burden, comprising emotional, physical, and financial difficulties associated with caregiving.
- Results An estimated 14.9 million caregivers assisted 7.6 million care recipients.
- Dementia was the only care recipient characteristic associated with burden.
- Absence of an association between type of a care recipient's chronic conditions and burden, except for dementia, suggests that the tasks that caregivers who assist older adults with a variety of health conditions undertake shape the experience of caregiving.
Why it matters
In 2011 US national survey data covering an estimated 14.9 million family and unpaid caregivers, more than half reported emotional, physical or financial burden. Burden was more likely among caregivers who helped with more daily activities, health management tasks and health system logistics, and among women, adult children, and caregivers in poor health or with anxiety symptoms. Dementia was the only care recipient characteristic linked to burden — an association from a single survey, not proof of cause.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 51/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: journal h-index 344 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 239 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 26.6 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 24.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 117 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Terri R. Fried: h-index 63 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Johns Hopkins University: institution h-index 2,306 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30452088) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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APA 7th
Riffin, C., Van Ness, P. H., Wolff, J. L., & Fried, T. (2019). Multifactorial Examination of Caregiver Burden in a National Sample of Family and Unpaid Caregivers. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15664
Vancouver
Riffin C, Van Ness PH, Wolff JL, Fried T. Multifactorial Examination of Caregiver Burden in a National Sample of Family and Unpaid Caregivers. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2019. doi:10.1111/jgs.15664. PMID: 30452088.
BibTeX
@article{riffin2019-30452088,
author = {Riffin, C. and Van Ness, P. H. and Wolff, J. L. and Fried, T.},
title = {{Multifactorial Examination of Caregiver Burden in a National Sample of Family and Unpaid Caregivers}},
journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1111/jgs.15664},
pmid = {30452088},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15664}
}
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