Adult Caregivers in the United States: Characteristics and Differences in Well-being, by Caregiver Age and Caregiving Status

We examined the characteristics of adults providing regular care or assistance to friends or family members who have health problems, long-term illnesses, or disabilities (ie, caregivers). We used data from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to examine caregiver characteristics, by age and caregiving status, and compare these characteristics with those of noncaregivers. Approximately 24.7 % (95 % confidence interval, 24.4%–25.0%) of respondents were caregivers. Compared with younger caregivers, older caregivers reported more fair or poor health and physical distress but more satisfaction with life and lower mental distress. Understanding the characteristics of caregivers can help enhance strategies that support their role in providing long-term care. Objective In 2007, Talley and Crews framed caregiving as a public health issue and argued for its inclusion in state-level surveillance to obtain data about adult caregivers (1). Subsequently, a caregiving question was added to the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. Respondents were asked whether they provided regular care or assistance to friends or family members who have health problems, long-term illnesses, or disabilities during the past month. The objective of this study was to examine the demographic characteristics of caregivers, compare caregivers with noncaregivers, and compare younger (aged 18–64) and older (aged ≥65) caregivers on measures o