Heejung Kim
Understanding Internet Use Among Dementia Caregivers: Results of Secondary Data Analysis Using the US Caregiver Survey Data
University of Kansas
background informal caregivers persons dementia experience higher levels chronic stress caregiving trajectory internet provides diverse types caregiver resources may help ameliorate stress relevant negative outcomes however limited information prevalence factors using internetbased resources health caregivingrelated purposes informal caregivers persons dementia objective specific aims study 1 determine prevalence factors caregivers healthrelated internet use 2 compare sociodemographic caregivingrelated characteristics healthrelated internet users nonhealthrelated internet users among informal caregivers persons dementia methods quantitative investigation descriptive correlational design using secondary data analysis primary data collected via survey conducted 2009 national alliance caregiving american association retired persons telephone interviews utilizing standardized questionnaires used collect selfreported information sociodemographics caregivingrelated history n450 descriptive statistics hierarchical binary logistic regression analysis completed based stress process model results approximately 59 265450 dementia caregivers identified healthrelated internet users caregivers sociodemographics subjective responses caregiving stress significant factors identify healthrelated internet users followed workload assisting instrumental activities daily living persons dementia significant differences caregivers age levels education income hours spent caregiving relationship persons dementia healthrelated internet users nonhealthrelated internet users p05 controlling confounding effects younger age persons dementia 0278 95 ci 00850906 higher education levels caregivers 3348 95 ci 20195552 shorter caregiving time spent per week 0452 95 ci 02430840 higher levels caregivers emotional stress 1249 95 ci 10041555 financial hardship 461 95 ci 141614978 identified newly emerging factors healthrelated internet use conclusions although internet provided useful resources caregivers persons dementia dementia caregivers reported lower levels healthrelated internet use compared general public findings confirmed impact age education levels andor income internet use reported previous studies however predictive value subjective responses caregiving stress healthrelated internet use new addition findings assist health care providers researchers policy makers identifying least likely access internetbased resources internetbased strategies best designed implemented distributed meet needs group users