African Americans, Caregiving, and Physical Health Ratings: Does Culture, Religion and Spirituality Provide Support?
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African Americans, Caregiving, and Physical Health Ratings: Does Culture, Religion and Spirituality Provide Support? Julia F. Hastings1,2 · Suryadewi E. Nugraheni1,2 · Harold W. Neighbors3 Accepted: 12 September 2020 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Caregiving can be both distressing and physically demanding, especially among African Americans. This study uses data from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) to examine the relationship between religion and spirituality experiences on health ratings among African American caregivers. Logistic regression analyses were performed on a sample including 4461 African American and white participants. All analyses were weighted and used STATA 14. African American participants who endorsed religiosity (OR 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06, 1.97) and white participants who endorsed religiosity (OR 2.40, CI 1.07, 5.40) recorded higher ratings of physical health than those who did not endorse being religious. Maintaining family closeness for African Americans is significantly associated with higher ratings of physical health (OR 2.02, CI 1.39, 2.94). Overall, the findings underscore how maintaining a religious or spiritual lens can enhance health outcomes among African Americans caregivers who need support. Keywords Caregiving · African Americans · Religiosity · Spirituality · Nursing homes · NSAL
Introduction As the number of older Americans living longer with debilitating mental health and physical health conditions increases, so will the need for increased numbers of caregivers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), projects that “[b]y 2030, there will be only 4 potential family caregivers per adult,” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] 2017). Consequently, it is imperative to providers in the health sector to prepare for the physical health needs family member caregivers may experience. Caregiving can be both distressing and physically demanding. Although looking after others in need is a very loving and selfless endeavor, performing the duties takes * Julia F. Hastings [email protected] 1
School of Public Health, University at Albany, SUNY, Health Policy, Management, & Behavior, One University Place, GEC 183, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
2
School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, SUNY, 135 Western Avenue, Richardson HallAlbany, NY 12222, USA
3
Division of Public Health, Department of Family Medicine, Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine, Flint, MI 48502, USA
its toll on those who work to ensure the well-being of those indisposed. Many caregivers are unprepared to provide care, have inadequate knowledge to deliver proper care, and receive little guidance from formal health care providers (Bucher et al. 2001; Scherbring 2002; Schumacher et al. 2000). The literature also treats all caregivers without attention to race. For illustration, the literature suggests that African Americans record the highest percentage of family caregivers compared to oth
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