Analysis of factors influencing the burden on family caregivers of disabled older adults in Guangzhou

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the current status of disability among older adults and analyze factors influencing the burden on their family caregivers in southern China.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 334 pairs of disabled older adults (≥65 years) and their primary fam...

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Main Authors: Danrong Lin, Junbin Liao, Yanxi Liu, Yuquan Zhong, Jingyun Pan, Heng Fang, Yunfeng Lin, Yilu Yao, Jiewen Su, Bingjie Hu, Wei Zhu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1628022/full
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author Danrong Lin
Danrong Lin
Junbin Liao
Yanxi Liu
Yuquan Zhong
Jingyun Pan
Heng Fang
Yunfeng Lin
Yilu Yao
Jiewen Su
Bingjie Hu
Bingjie Hu
Wei Zhu
Wei Zhu
author_facet Danrong Lin
Danrong Lin
Junbin Liao
Yanxi Liu
Yuquan Zhong
Jingyun Pan
Heng Fang
Yunfeng Lin
Yilu Yao
Jiewen Su
Bingjie Hu
Bingjie Hu
Wei Zhu
Wei Zhu
author_sort Danrong Lin
collection DOAJ
description ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the current status of disability among older adults and analyze factors influencing the burden on their family caregivers in southern China.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 334 pairs of disabled older adults (≥65 years) and their primary family caregivers across three districts in Guangzhou. Face-to-face interviews using standardized questionnaires assessed disability levels via the “Long-term Care Disability Level Assessment” scale and caregiver burden via the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) scale. For ordinal variables, the Kruskal-Wallis H test was applied for multi-group comparisons, while the Mann–Whitney U test was used for two-group analyses. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Ordinal logistic regression identified factors associated with caregiver burden.ResultsAmong 334 disabled older adults in Guangzhou, the mean age was 82 years. Of these, 55.7% were married, 43.4% were male, 43.4% had an educational attainment of primary school or below. For the 334 family caregivers, 62.3% were female, 36.8% had completed high school or vocational education. The median years of caregiving experience was 5 years, with a median weekly caregiving time of 70 h. Caregiver burden distribution was as follows: 16.2% no burden, 41.0% mild burden, 28.7% moderate burden, and 14.1% severe burden. Statistically significant differences in caregiver burden were observed across the following variables (p < 0.05): disabled old adults’ activities of daily living (ADL), caregivers’ gender, child in school, physical disease, years of caregiving experience, weekly caregiving time, social interaction frequency, life satisfaction, and social support network size. Higher caregiver life satisfaction and elevated ADL scores in care recipients emerged as protective factors. Conversely, longer weekly caregiving hours and caregivers’ physical illness were identified as risk factors.ConclusionThis study identifies weekly caregiving time, caregivers’ physical disease, disabled older adults’ ADL capacity, and caregivers’ life satisfaction as critical determinants of burden severity in aging China, advocating multilevel interventions.
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spelling doaj-art-01e23eda543746eb934a869cf1df1b352025-08-21T04:10:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-08-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.16280221628022Analysis of factors influencing the burden on family caregivers of disabled older adults in GuangzhouDanrong Lin0Danrong Lin1Junbin Liao2Yanxi Liu3Yuquan Zhong4Jingyun Pan5Heng Fang6Yunfeng Lin7Yilu Yao8Jiewen Su9Bingjie Hu10Bingjie Hu11Wei Zhu12Wei Zhu13Institute of Public Health, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Scientific Research, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, ChinaShenzhen Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, ChinaDepartment of Scientific Research, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Scientific Research, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, ChinaInstitute of Public Health, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Scientific Research, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Scientific Research, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Scientific Research, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Scientific Research, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, ChinaInstitute of Public Health, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaPhilosophy and Social Sciences Key Laboratory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes for Health Governance Based on Big Data Utilization, Guangzhou, ChinaInstitute of Public Health, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Scientific Research, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, ChinaObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the current status of disability among older adults and analyze factors influencing the burden on their family caregivers in southern China.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 334 pairs of disabled older adults (≥65 years) and their primary family caregivers across three districts in Guangzhou. Face-to-face interviews using standardized questionnaires assessed disability levels via the “Long-term Care Disability Level Assessment” scale and caregiver burden via the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) scale. For ordinal variables, the Kruskal-Wallis H test was applied for multi-group comparisons, while the Mann–Whitney U test was used for two-group analyses. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Ordinal logistic regression identified factors associated with caregiver burden.ResultsAmong 334 disabled older adults in Guangzhou, the mean age was 82 years. Of these, 55.7% were married, 43.4% were male, 43.4% had an educational attainment of primary school or below. For the 334 family caregivers, 62.3% were female, 36.8% had completed high school or vocational education. The median years of caregiving experience was 5 years, with a median weekly caregiving time of 70 h. Caregiver burden distribution was as follows: 16.2% no burden, 41.0% mild burden, 28.7% moderate burden, and 14.1% severe burden. Statistically significant differences in caregiver burden were observed across the following variables (p < 0.05): disabled old adults’ activities of daily living (ADL), caregivers’ gender, child in school, physical disease, years of caregiving experience, weekly caregiving time, social interaction frequency, life satisfaction, and social support network size. Higher caregiver life satisfaction and elevated ADL scores in care recipients emerged as protective factors. Conversely, longer weekly caregiving hours and caregivers’ physical illness were identified as risk factors.ConclusionThis study identifies weekly caregiving time, caregivers’ physical disease, disabled older adults’ ADL capacity, and caregivers’ life satisfaction as critical determinants of burden severity in aging China, advocating multilevel interventions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1628022/fullold adultdisabilityfamily caregiverscaregiving burdeninfluencing factors
spellingShingle Danrong Lin
Danrong Lin
Junbin Liao
Yanxi Liu
Yuquan Zhong
Jingyun Pan
Heng Fang
Yunfeng Lin
Yilu Yao
Jiewen Su
Bingjie Hu
Bingjie Hu
Wei Zhu
Wei Zhu
Analysis of factors influencing the burden on family caregivers of disabled older adults in Guangzhou
Frontiers in Public Health
old adult
disability
family caregivers
caregiving burden
influencing factors
title Analysis of factors influencing the burden on family caregivers of disabled older adults in Guangzhou
title_full Analysis of factors influencing the burden on family caregivers of disabled older adults in Guangzhou
title_fullStr Analysis of factors influencing the burden on family caregivers of disabled older adults in Guangzhou
title_full_unstemmed Analysis of factors influencing the burden on family caregivers of disabled older adults in Guangzhou
title_short Analysis of factors influencing the burden on family caregivers of disabled older adults in Guangzhou
title_sort analysis of factors influencing the burden on family caregivers of disabled older adults in guangzhou
topic old adult
disability
family caregivers
caregiving burden
influencing factors
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1628022/full
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