SOCIOCULTURAL BARRIERS TO EQUITY IN SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR DEMENTIA CAREGIVING IN MINORITY WOMEN

Abstract

Abstract Racial and ethnic minority is growing in dementia caregiving population. This study aimed to identify racial/ethnic differences in social support and sociocultural factors related to caregiving among minority midlife women who were family caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer’s disease (MWPLAD). A secondary data analysis was conducted using the data from a cross-sectional online survey of 172 MWPLADs. Self-report questionnaires were used to collect the data on the caregivers’ sociodemographic and caregiving-related characteristics, social support for caregiving, and sociocultural factors for caregiving. Descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, and hierarchical linear regression were adopted for the data analysis. Non-Hispanic Asian caregivers reported lower social support and greater perceived barrier during dementia caregiving than non-Hispanic African-American and Hispanic caregivers (p ≦ .001). Furthermore, non-Hispanic Asian caregivers reported a higher level of discrimination during caregiving, a lower level of cultural justification for reciprocity, and a lower level of cultural justification for duty than non-Hispanic African-American caregivers (p < .001). After controlling for race/ethnicity and sociodemographic factors, those who received more social support were younger, experienced a lower level of discrimination, and had a higher level of cultural justification for caregiving duties (p < .05). Our study findings support that racial/ethnic differences exist in caregivers’ social support. When enhancing social support among racial/ethnic minority caregivers for dementia, it is necessary to develop specific strategies for encouraging each race/ethnicity group in further large-scale studies and clinical practice in the future.