Health profile of family caregivers of the elderly and its association with variables of care: a rural study

Abstract Objective: to analyze the profile of a population of caregivers from a city in a rural area of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, and identify their health complaints and the characteristics of care provided. Method: a prospective cross-sectional study was performed based on a domicile survey of 99 caregivers and their elderly care recipients. Information about the profile, context of care and health complaints of the caregivers was collected. The caregivers responded to the Zarit Burden Inventory and the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 and the elderly underwent a cognition and functionality assessment. The chi-squared test with odds ratio (OR) was performed to test associations. Result: the majority of the caregivers were women (n=76), elderly (n=83), with a median age 65.8 (±10.4) years and 4.9 (±4.2) years of formal schooling. The most frequent health complaints were pain, systemic hypertension, insomnia, back problems and vision problems. The elderly care recipients were men (n=75), with an average age of 72.0 (±8.2) years. Analysis of associations revealed that caregivers who received emotional support had a lower chance of being highly overburdened (OR=0.37; CI95% 0.15-0.90). Caring for over five years was associated with arthritis (OR=2.50; CI95% 1.0-6.56). Caring of an elderly person with cognitive impairment was strongly associated with peripheral vascular diseases (OR=2.70; CI95% 1.11-6.85) and other diseases (OR=6.94; CI95% 1.43-33.63). Conclusion: A better understanding of the reality of care in rural and remote areas and the identification of factors related to the health care of caregivers provides better care management for the elderly and caregivers, who themselves are aging