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53/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 53 out of 100. Caregiving

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

The goal of this study was to determine the patient and caregiver characteristics associated with depression among caregivers of patients with dementia. Results Thirty-two percent of caregivers reported 6 or more symptoms of depression and were classified as depressed. Independent patient predictors of caregiver depression included younger age (odds ratio [OR], 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33 to 2.76 in patients less than 65 years compared to patients over 85 years), white (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.99) and Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.69 to 3.70) compared to black ethnicity, education (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.33 for those with less than a high school education), ADL dependence (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.90 for patients dependent in 2 or more ADL compared to patients dependent in no ADL), and behavioral disturbance, particularly angry or aggressive behavior (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.27 to 1.69 for patients with angry or aggressive behavior). Independent caregiver predictors of depression included low income (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.77 for less than 10,000 dollars/per year, compared to >20,000 dollars per year), the relationship to the patient (OR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.31 to 5.72 for wife, compared to son of male patient), hours spent caregiving (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.51 to 2.38 for 40 to 79 hours/week compared to less than 40 hours/week), and functional dependence (OR, 2.53; 95% CI, 2.13 to 3.01 for ADL dependent compared to IADL independent).

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

Covinsky, K. E., Newcomer, R., Fox, P., Wood, J., Sands, L., Dane, K., et al. (2003). Patient and caregiver characteristics associated with depression in caregivers of patients with dementia. Journal of general internal medicine. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2003.30103.x

Vancouver

Covinsky KE, Newcomer R, Fox P, Wood J, Sands L, Dane K, et al. Patient and caregiver characteristics associated with depression in caregivers of patients with dementia. Journal of general internal medicine. 2003. doi:10.1111/j.1525-1497.2003.30103.x. PMID: 14687259.

BibTeX

@article{covinsky2003-14687259,
  author  = {Covinsky, K. E. and Newcomer, R. and Fox, P. and Wood, J. and Sands, L. and Dane, K. and Yaffe, K.},
  title   = {{Patient and caregiver characteristics associated with depression in caregivers of patients with dementia}},
  journal = {Journal of general internal medicine},
  year    = {2003},
  doi     = {10.1111/j.1525-1497.2003.30103.x},
  pmid    = {14687259},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2003.30103.x}
}

Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.

Key findings

The goal of this study was to determine the patient and caregiver characteristics associated with depression among caregivers of patients with dementia.
Results Thirty-two percent of caregivers reported 6 or more symptoms of depression and were classified as depressed.
Independent patient predictors of caregiver depression included younger age (odds ratio [OR], 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33 to 2.76 in patients less than 65 years compared to patients over 85 years), white (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.99) and Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.69 to 3.70) compared to black ethnicity, education (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.33 for those with less than a high school education), ADL dependence (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.90 for patients dependent in 2 or more ADL compared to patients dependent in no ADL), and behavioral disturbance, particularly angry or aggressive behavior (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.27 to 1.69 for patients with angry or aggressive behavior).
Independent caregiver predictors of depression included low income (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.77 for less than 10,000 dollars/per year, compared to >20,000 dollars per year), the relationship to the patient (OR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.31 to 5.72 for wife, compared to son of male patient), hours spent caregiving (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.51 to 2.38 for 40 to 79 hours/week compared to less than 40 hours/week), and functional dependence (OR, 2.53; 95% CI, 2.13 to 3.01 for ADL dependent compared to IADL independent).

Why it matters

In this cross-sectional study, 32 percent of caregivers of patients with dementia reported six or more symptoms of depression, and several patient and caregiver characteristics were independently associated with caregiver depression. It identifies which caregivers may be at higher risk so they can be recognized, but it reports no treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.

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Study details

Study designcross-sectional
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 53/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for 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 general internal medicine)
Journal's citation record	3 / 4	Journal of General Internal Medicine: journal h-index 283 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	4 / 12	A snapshot of people at one point in time
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	1 / 5	2003 — older than 20 years, still counted
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	6 / 7	Cited 569 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	4 / 5	22.8 citations a year over 25 year(s) since 2003
Impact for its field and year	3 / 6	Cited 6.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	3 / 6	Cited by 15 other studies in this library
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 43 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	4 / 4	Last-listed author Kristine S. Yaffe: h-index 155 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	2 / 3	University of California, San Francisco: institution h-index 1,915 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 14687259)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	53 / 100	—

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