Abstract
During recent decades, demographic changes and family structure transformation in Hong Kong have made a growing number of male undertaking care giving roles. However, there is a noted paucity of research on men’s caregiving activities and caregiving burden. The aim of the present study was to examine multidimensional determinants of caregiving burden in Chinese male caregivers of older family members in Hong Kong. Underpinned by the modified stress process model, this study explored how background and contextual factors (caregiver’s demographic characteristics, mental health status, caregiving related factors, support and services), primary stressors (care dependency level, special care needs), and secondary stressors (self-efficacy, gender role conflict) might relate to male caregivers’ caregiving burden. Gender role conflict was first time added as a secondary stressor in the model and examined as a predictor for male caregivers’ burden. Questionnaire survey was conducted with a total of 204 male caregivers who considered themselves as primary caregivers for frail older family members aged 60 and over. Descriptive analyses, bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. The results showed that being the son of the care receiver, caregiver’s presence of depressive symptoms, higher levels of gender role conflict and use of services and supports predicted a higher burden level. Higher self-efficacy level was negatively associated with care burden. Among all determinants, gender role conflict was found to be most influential factor of male caregivers’ burden. Interactions between background and contextual factors and primary stressors were detected.
Author Information
Xue Bai, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
Chang Liu, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
Luisa Baladon, The Adults Mental Health Centre of Garraf, Spain
Maria Rubio-Valera, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, Spain
Comments
Powered by WP LinkPress