EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MASTERY AND HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG CAREGIVERS OF OLDER ADULTS WHO REQUIRED ASSISTANCE WITH ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING (ADL)

Abstract

Aims: (1) To explore relationship between caregiver mastery and health outcome among caregivers of older adults who required assistance with ADL; (2) to determine effect of caregivers’ sociodemographic characteristic on caregiver mastery. Background: From 2008 to 2018, individuals aged 65 years and above have drastically increased from 8.7% to 13.7%. These individuals tend to be frail due to age related morbidity, and require assistance with ADL. Family caregivers often take on responsibility to provide physical, emotional and financial support for care-recipients. Overtime, stress associated with caregiving cause undesirable outcomes for both caregivers and patients. Existing studies mainly focus on caregivers burden. However, relationship between caregivers mastery and health outcomes (caregiving burden, depression and health-related quality of life (QoL)) has not been explored in informal caregivers of older adults. Methods: 114 caregivers of older adults in inpatient setting of tertiary hospital were recruited for this cross- sectional study. Pearlin Mastery Scale, ZBI, Depression scale and SF-12 were used to measure caregiver mastery, burden, depression and health-related QoL respectively. Descriptive statistic, Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis were used in data analysis. Results: Caregiver burden and depression were moderately negatively correlated with mastery (r=-0.385, r = -0.469, p<0.01). PCS and MCS were found to be positively correlated with mastery (r = 0.348, p<0.01). In univariate model, dementia status of care-recipients, age, employment status, education and live-in status of the caregivers were found to be significantly associated with mastery (p<0.05). Mastery was found significant associated with caregiver burden, depression and health-related QoL after controlled for significant sociodemographic variables in multivariate model (p<0.01). Conclusion: The results suggest mastery as mediator against poor health outcomes of caregivers. Knowledge of sociodemographic variables affecting mastery may contribute as preventive measures to detect at-risk caregivers.