| Description |
The purpose of this study is to explore each item of the multidimensional Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) for mean score gender differences. The study proposes that social role theory offers a basis for understanding how the burden experienced by men and women caregivers may differ due to gender socialization, and that gender differences within items of the CBI contribute to the understanding of unique profiles of burden experiences by family caregivers. The study sample consists of 160 caregivers recruited from adult day care centers (n=52) and from mailing lists of caregiver support groups (n=108). Eighty-two percent of the respondents are women with an average age of 62.5 years (SD=13.3). Eighty-six percent are married with 52% being spouses of the care recipient. Thirty-seven percent are either daughters or daughters-in-law. The average time providing care is 4.6 years. The CBI consists of five subscales measuring time-dependence, developmental, physical, social, and emotional burden. Of the 24 CBI items, 4 exhibit gender differences when the means of the men and women caregivers and compared using a t-test. On all 4 of these items, women report higher burden scores. A pattern of experience for burdened caregivers emerges including issues of preparation for the care giving relationship. Gender remains a significant influence on burden in three of the four items after regression analysis are conducted. For the burden item "I'm physically tired," gender (Beta=.19) remains an important influence. Together with other factors, 32% of the variance on this item is explained. Forty-two percent of the variance for the item "I resent my care receiver" is explained by gender and other independent variables. The item, "Care giving has made me physically sick," shown no significant influence due to gender. The 20% explained variance being attributed to the physical health of the caregiver (Beta=29). Interestingly, 15% of the variance for the burden item, "I feel ashamed of my care receiver," is explained by gender alone (Beta=.17) Shame seems to be a gender driven emotional response to an overwhelming care giving experience with women having higher scores in this item. A discussion of shame as a significant issue in caregiver burden is included. |
