Author/Authors :
Abedi Parvin نويسنده Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ahvaz Medical University of Jondi Shapur, Ahvaz, Iran , Saki Malehi Amal نويسنده Department of Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran , Javadnoori Mojgan نويسنده Reproductive Health Promotion Research Center, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran , Zangeneh Pour Zadeh Azadeh نويسنده MS Student, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Abstract :
[Background]In the recent years, chronic diseases have been identified as challenges of public health and healthcare and are the major causes of death in the female population. Females make up 75% of family caregivers. The sandwich generation females, who care for their aging parents while supporting their own children, encounter an increase in stress related to chronic diseases, but in some studies, the issue of care involves lower depression risk and more constructive psychological effects.[Objectives]The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between family caregiving and chronic diseases in sandwich generation females.[Patients and Methods]This study was a case-control study in Ahvaz in which 360 females including 180 sandwich generation caregivers and 180 caregivers of one generation (i.e. those only taking care of their own child) were selected using the random cluster sampling method during six months. The two groups of participants were matched in terms of age, number of children under their care and their socioeconomic status. Data analysis was conducted using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S test or KS test) and chi-square tests through the SPSS v.22 software.[Results]A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of the presence of chronic diseases (P = 0.001). There was a significant correlation between chronic diseases and number of children (P = 0.03), person receiving care (P = 0.004), educational level (P = 0.001), caregiving duration (P = 0.005), and socioeconomic status (P = 0.14). Chronic diseases in caregivers with more than four children, under diploma educational level, and with unfavorable socioeconomic status were more than others. Additionally, the occurrence of chronic diseases was more in females caring for their grandchildren. There was no significant correlation between chronic diseases and the age of caregivers (P > 0.05).[Conclusions]The current study revealed that a significant percentage of sandwich generation females have chronic diseases.
