Document 0455
 DOCN  M9480455
 TI    The prevalence of informal caregiving to persons with AIDS in the United
       States: caregiver characteristics and their implications.
 DT    9410
 AU    Turner HA; Catania JA; Gagnon J; Department of Sociology, University of
       New Hampshire, Durham; 03824.
 SO    Soc Sci Med. 1994 Jun;38(11):1543-52. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/94310483
 AB    Based on U.S. national (N = 2673) and central cities (N = 8263)
       probability samples, this paper: (1) presents estimates of the
       proportion of the United States population that has provided informal
       care to persons with AIDS; (2) identifies socio-demographic
       characteristics of 'typical' AIDS caregivers in the U.S.; and (3)
       discusses social, economic and health-related implications of informal
       caregiving to persons with AIDS. Results indicate that 5.0% of all
       adults age 18-75 living within central cities and 3.2% of the entire
       adult U.S. population have provided care to a friend, relative or lover
       with AIDS. Although caregivers are distributed throughout different age
       and ethnic groups, the majority of caregivers are younger (< 40 years)
       and white. Males, gay and bisexual men in particular are
       over-represented among central cities caregivers. Data on the types of
       caregiving tasks performed show that 64.4% of all caregivers within
       central cities perform domestic types of caregiving tasks, while 27.7%
       are involved in personal care of AIDS patients. Caregivers are more
       likely than non-caregivers to have been tested for HIV, and among the
       tested, caregivers are more likely to have tested positive. While
       informal caregiving reduces costs to the formal medical sector, costs to
       the caregivers themselves should be considered. Physical and emotional
       stress, as well as reduced opportunity for social and economic
       development, represent potential outcomes of caregiving.
       Socio-demographic characteristics of AIDS caregivers, such as their
       typically young age, suggest that these caregivers may be at particular
       risk for detrimental consequences.
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/EPIDEMIOLOGY/*NURSING  Activities of
       Daily Living  Adolescence  Adult  Aged  AIDS Serodiagnosis  Bisexuality
       Caregivers/PSYCHOLOGY/*STATISTICS & NUMER DATA  *Cost of Illness  Data
       Collection  Female  Health Care Costs  Health Status  Home
       Nursing/STATISTICS & NUMER DATA/*UTILIZATION  Homosexuality  Human  Male
       Middle Age  Prevalence  Sampling Studies  Socioeconomic Factors  Stress,
       Psychological/EPIDEMIOLOGY/ETIOLOGY  Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.  United
       States/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Urban Health  Workload  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).