Kinship and cohabitation in relation to caregiver burden in the context of Alzheimer's disease: a 24-month longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVES
The aims of the study were to identify the clinical characteristics of three groups of caregivers: spouses, live-in adult-child or non-live-in adult-child, and their relation to the degree of perceived burden (Caregiver Burden Interview).


METHODS
The sample comprised 275 Alzheimer's disease primary caregivers, with a follow-up of 24 months. Cognitive, functional and behavioural characteristics were evaluated in persons with dementia, whilst sociodemographic data, use of socio-medical resources, physical and mental health and self-perceived burden were assessed in caregivers. Generalized estimating equations were used for longitudinal data analysis.


RESULTS
Spouse caregivers were 45.0% men, sole caregivers (>80%), used few external resources and had worse physical health. The number of female adult-child caregivers was higher (>75%). The live-in adult-child group, compared with the non-live-in adult-child group, was less likely to be married, had a lower level of education, was more commonly the sole caregiver and used fewer external resources. The greatest burden was observed in live-in adult-child caregivers, and the lowest in the non-live-in adult-child group, with no significant variation in the follow-up for both groups. Spouses had an intermediate level of perceived burden, which rose significantly during follow-up (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Kinship and cohabitation with the persons with dementia were associated with different scores and evolution of the burden, with an increase in the follow-up of the spouses, and with more or less burden, depending on cohabitation, in the adult-child groups. Interventions to reduce the level of burden on caregivers should consider these differences. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
['Viñas-Diez|Vanesa|V|', 'Turró-Garriga|Oriol|O|', 'Portellano-Ortiz|Cristina|C|', 'Gascón-Bayarri|Jordi|J|', 'Reñé-Ramírez|Ramón|R|', 'Garre-Olmo|Josep|J|', 'Conde-Sala|Josep Lluís|JL|']
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D000544:Alzheimer Disease D017028:Caregivers D017281:Cost of Illness D005190:Family D005191:Family Characteristics D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008137:Longitudinal Studies D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D012111:Residence Characteristics D018454:Spouses
kinship cohabitation burden Alzheimer's disease family caregivers