IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/jocnur/v29y2020i21-22p3950-3965.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Health outcomes of unpaid caregivers in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Irene Magaña
  • Pablo Martínez
  • María‐Soledad Loyola

Abstract

Aims and objectives To explore differences in health outcomes between unpaid caregivers and noncaregivers living in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). Background Previous meta‐analyses found worse health outcomes for unpaid caregivers in high‐income nations. However, no meta‐analysis has considered unpaid caregivers from LMICs. A systematic integration of this topic may contribute to nursing care for unpaid caregivers in LMICs. Design Systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies. Methods Following PRISMA statement, studies were searched for using the CINAHL, PubMed and SciELO databases, limited to publications until 31 December 2019. Random‐ and fixed‐effects meta‐analyses were used for data synthesis. Results Fourteen studies from Africa, Asia and South America were included. Unpaid caregivers of people with ill‐health were more anxious and depressed than noncaregivers. Studies conducted in Asia and South America reported poorer health outcomes for unpaid caregivers than noncaregivers, whereas the trend for African studies was the opposite. Unpaid caregivers of healthy individuals may have better health status than noncaregivers, particularly those caring between 1–14 hr per week. Of the six studies which examined gender differences, two studies informed worse health outcomes for women, one presented the opposite effect, and three found no differences. Conclusions Individual, social, cultural and systemic factors play an important role in the health outcomes of unpaid caregivers in LMICs. More evidence is needed from LMICs. As unpaid caregivers are predominantly female, urgent attention to the health outcomes of female unpaid caregivers is required. Relevance to clinical practice The management of mental health problems, particularly anxiety and depression, should be an integral part of nursing care for unpaid caregivers living in LMICs. To further promote the health of unpaid caregivers in developing countries, stakeholders should consider launching educational campaigns that assist caregivers in finding ways to meet their cultural obligations while also reinforcing caregiver self‐care.

Suggested Citation

  • Irene Magaña & Pablo Martínez & María‐Soledad Loyola, 2020. "Health outcomes of unpaid caregivers in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review and meta‐analysis," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(21-22), pages 3950-3965, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jocnur:v:29:y:2020:i:21-22:p:3950-3965
    DOI: 10.1111/jocn.15450
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15450
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/jocn.15450?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Quanzhi Zhang & Dazhi Yao & Jinwei Yang & Yuqiu Zhou, 2014. "Factors Influencing Sleep Disturbances among Spouse Caregivers of Cancer Patients in Northeast China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(10), pages 1-8, October.
    2. Daniel A Hojman & Fabian Duarte & Jaime Ruiz-Tagle & Marilu Budnich & Carolina Delgado & Andrea Slachevsky, 2017. "The cost of dementia in an unequal country: The case of Chile," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(3), pages 1-17, March.
    3. O'Reilly, Dermot & Connolly, Sheelah & Rosato, Michael & Patterson, Chris, 2008. "Is caring associated with an increased risk of mortality? A longitudinal study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(8), pages 1282-1290, October.
    4. Bremer, Patrick & Cabrera, Esther & Leino-Kilpi, Helena & Lethin, Connie & Saks, Kai & Sutcliffe, Caroline & Soto, Maria & Zwakhalen, Sandra M.G. & Wübker, Ansgar, 2015. "Informal dementia care: Consequences for caregivers’ health and health care use in 8 European countries," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(11), pages 1459-1471.
    5. Feinian Chen & Guangya Liu, 2012. "The Health Implications of Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren in China," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 67(1), pages 99-112.
    6. Hirst, Michael, 2005. "Carer distress: A prospective, population-based study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 697-708, August.
    7. Juan Carlos Campaña & Jose Ignacio Giménez-Nadal & José Alberto Molina, 2018. "Gender Norms and the Gendered Distribution of Total Work in Latin American Households," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1), pages 35-62, January.
    8. Martin Pinquart & Silvia Sörensen, 2007. "Correlates of Physical Health of Informal Caregivers: A Meta-Analysis," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 62(2), pages 126-137.
    9. Alessandro Liberati & Douglas G Altman & Jennifer Tetzlaff & Cynthia Mulrow & Peter C Gøtzsche & John P A Ioannidis & Mike Clarke & P J Devereaux & Jos Kleijnen & David Moher, 2009. "The PRISMA Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies That Evaluate Health Care Interventions: Explanation and Elaboration," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-28, July.
    10. Martin Pinquart & Silvia Sörensen, 2006. "Gender Differences in Caregiver Stressors, Social Resources, and Health: An Updated Meta-Analysis," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 61(1), pages 33-45.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cinzia Di Novi & Rowena Jacobs & Matteo Migheli, 2013. "The quality of life of female informal caregivers: from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean Sea," Working Papers 084cherp, Centre for Health Economics, University of York.
    2. Rebecca E Lacey & Anne McMunn & Elizabeth Webb, 2018. "Informal caregiving and markers of adiposity in the UK Household Longitudinal Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(7), pages 1-15, July.
    3. Bauer, Jan Michael & Sousa-Poza, Alfonso, 2015. "Impacts of Informal Caregiving on Caregiver Employment, Health, and Family," IZA Discussion Papers 8851, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Young Kyung Do & Edward C. Norton & Sally C. Stearns & Courtney Harold Van Houtven, 2015. "Informal Care and Caregiver's Health," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(2), pages 224-237, February.
    5. Miller, Ray & Sedai, Ashish Kumar, 2022. "Opportunity costs of unpaid caregiving: Evidence from panel time diaries," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 22(C).
    6. O'Reilly, Dermot & Connolly, Sheelah & Rosato, Michael & Patterson, Chris, 2008. "Is caring associated with an increased risk of mortality? A longitudinal study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(8), pages 1282-1290, October.
    7. Lawrence B. Sacco & Stefanie König & Hugo Westerlund & Loretta G. Platts, 2022. "Informal Caregiving and Quality of Life Among Older Adults: Prospective Analyses from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 845-866, April.
    8. Stansfeld, Stephen & Smuk, Melanie & Onwumere, Juliana & Clark, Charlotte & Pike, Cleo & McManus, Sally & Harris, Jenny & Bebbington, Paul, 2014. "Stressors and common mental disorder in informal carers – An analysis of the English Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 190-198.
    9. Patrick Janson & Kristina Willeke & Lisa Zaibert & Andrea Budnick & Anne Berghöfer & Sarah Kittel-Schneider & Peter U. Heuschmann & Andreas Zapf & Manfred Wildner & Carolin Stupp & Thomas Keil, 2022. "Mortality, Morbidity and Health-Related Outcomes in Informal Caregivers Compared to Non-Caregivers: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-25, May.
    10. Abrahamsen, Signe A. & Grøtting, Maja Weemes, 2019. "Formal Care of the Elderly and Health Outcomes Among Adult Daughters," Working Papers in Economics 2/19, University of Bergen, Department of Economics.
    11. Sandrine Juin, 2019. "Formal home care, informal support and caregiver health: should other people care?," Erudite Working Paper 2019-21, Erudite.
    12. Dörte Heger, 2017. "The Mental Health of Children Providing Care to their Elderly Parent," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(12), pages 1617-1629, December.
    13. Mendez-Luck, Carolyn A. & Kennedy, David P. & Wallace, Steven P., 2009. "Guardians of health: The dimensions of elder caregiving among women in a Mexico City neighborhood," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 228-234, January.
    14. Le, Duc Dung & Ibuka, Yoko, 2023. "Understanding the effects of informal caregiving on health and well-being: Heterogeneity and mechanisms," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    15. Idstad, Mariann & Røysamb, Espen & Tambs, Kristian, 2011. "The effect of change in mental disorder status on change in spousal mental health: The HUNT study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(9), pages 1408-1415.
    16. Rachel Cater & Julie Taylor, 2017. "The experiences of heart transplant recipients' spouses during the pretransplant waiting period: integrative review," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(19-20), pages 2865-2877, October.
    17. Portier, Camille, 2023. "Heterogeneity in the mental health cost of caring for others," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 326(C).
    18. Uccheddu, Damiano & Gauthier, Anne H. & Steverink, Nardi & Emery, Tom, 2019. "The pains and reliefs of the transitions into and out of spousal caregiving. A cross-national comparison of the health consequences of caregiving by gender," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    19. Elizabeth T Cafiero-Fonseca & Andrew Stawasz & Sydney T Johnson & Reiko Sato & David E Bloom, 2017. "The full benefits of adult pneumococcal vaccination: A systematic review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-23, October.
    20. Ludoviko Zirimenya & Fatima Mahmud-Ajeigbe & Ruth McQuillan & You Li, 2020. "A systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between urogenital schistosomiasis and HIV/AIDS infection," PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(6), pages 1-13, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:jocnur:v:29:y:2020:i:21-22:p:3950-3965. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2702 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.