The proposed research examines is a four year longitudinal study on the structure and outcomes of caregiving to the black elderly. A culturally sensitive conceptual framework will be used in the study that includes assumptions from systems theory and information on black extended family functioning. This conceptual framework will allow for understanding why multiple caregivers may be present in black families, the extent to which a helping network exists, and the types of social support that caregivers use in caring for elderly family members.
The first aim of the study is to describe and analyze the structure of caregiving over time. This structures is expected to have multiple caregivers with numerous kin, friends, and fictive kin in the helping network. Caregivers' social support system may include family, church and formal organization.
The second aim of the study is to analyze what factors are most associated with the emotional and physical health outcomes of caregiving over time. Information gathered from this study will be used to facilitate developing interventions to assist black caregivers caring for older dependent elderly blacks. The design proposed to include at least 600 caregivers living in both urban and rural areas of North Carolina with different socioeconomic levels represented. Information from the established populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) will facilitate identifying elderly blacks living in five counties in North Carolina who meet the selection criteria (two or more ADLs and three or more on the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire) who most likely will have one for more caregivers. Analysis of findings will be at the cross-sectional and longitudinal levels involving several statistical procedures including multinomial logistic regressions, multivariate regression, and structural models.
