Health status in South Australians caring for people with cancer: A population-based study

Luckett, T; Agar, M; DiGiacomo, M; Lam, L; Phillips, J

Health status in South Australians caring for people with cancer: A population-based study

Luckett, T

Agar, M

DiGiacomo, M

Lam, L

Phillips, J

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Psycho-Oncology, 2019, 28 (11), pp. 2149 - 2156
Issue Date:: 2019-11-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Luckett, T https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6121-5409	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Agar, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6756-6119	en_US
dc.contributor.author	DiGiacomo, M https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5484-8224	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Lam, L https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6183-6854	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Phillips, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3691-8230	en_US
dc.date.available	2019-08-12	en_US
dc.date.issued	2019-11-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Psycho-Oncology, 2019, 28 (11), pp. 2149 - 2156	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1057-9249	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/136930
dc.description.abstract	© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Objectives: To compare physical and mental health status between cancer carers versus non-carers in a population-based sample and explore sociodemographic and caring characteristics associated with poor carer health status. Methods: The South Australian Health Omnibus is a population-based cross-sectional survey. Carer status was self-defined by participants as having cared for someone with cancer in the last 5 years. Health status was considered poor if it was 0.5 standard deviation lower than Australian norms on the Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short-Form (SF-12) physical and mental component summary scores (PCS and MCS). Regression analyses compared mean PCS/MCS between carers versus non-carers, controlling for sociodemographic variables, and explored associations between poor health status and caring and support among carers. Results: The weighted sample included 2962 people, of whom 374 (12.6%) were cancer carers and 1993 (67.3%) non-carers. Carers had significantly worse PCS/MCS, controlling for sociodemographic variables, but did not differ significantly regarding proportions with poor health status. Carer characteristics associated with poor PCS and MCS included socio-economic indicators and involvement in medication management. Assisting with household tasks was protective. Conclusions: This population-based study followed those previous ones in finding cancer carers to have poorer mean health status than non-carers. However, differences were less pronounced than previously reported, likely because of the sample being drawn from a general rather than cancer service population and including past as well as current carers, as well as all cancer types and stages. Future longitudinal research is needed to identify factors that predict recovery post caring.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Psycho-Oncology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1002/pon.5200	en_US
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject.classification	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	en_US
dc.title	Health status in South Australians caring for people with cancer: A population-based study	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	11	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	28	en_US
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	1112 Oncology and Carcinogenesis	en_US
utslib.for	1701 Psychology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/IMPACCT
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHT - Health Technologies
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.issue	11	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	28	en_US

Abstract:

© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Objectives: To compare physical and mental health status between cancer carers versus non-carers in a population-based sample and explore sociodemographic and caring characteristics associated with poor carer health status. Methods: The South Australian Health Omnibus is a population-based cross-sectional survey. Carer status was self-defined by participants as having cared for someone with cancer in the last 5 years. Health status was considered poor if it was 0.5 standard deviation lower than Australian norms on the Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short-Form (SF-12) physical and mental component summary scores (PCS and MCS). Regression analyses compared mean PCS/MCS between carers versus non-carers, controlling for sociodemographic variables, and explored associations between poor health status and caring and support among carers. Results: The weighted sample included 2962 people, of whom 374 (12.6%) were cancer carers and 1993 (67.3%) non-carers. Carers had significantly worse PCS/MCS, controlling for sociodemographic variables, but did not differ significantly regarding proportions with poor health status. Carer characteristics associated with poor PCS and MCS included socio-economic indicators and involvement in medication management. Assisting with household tasks was protective. Conclusions: This population-based study followed those previous ones in finding cancer carers to have poorer mean health status than non-carers. However, differences were less pronounced than previously reported, likely because of the sample being drawn from a general rather than cancer service population and including past as well as current carers, as well as all cancer types and stages. Future longitudinal research is needed to identify factors that predict recovery post caring.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/136930