Gender differences in caregiving: why do wives report greater burden?

Women typically report greater burden associated with caregiving than do men. We used data from interviews with 131 older spouse caregivers to explore potential explanations for this difference. A linear regression model explained 35% of the variance in caregiver burden. The patient's cognitive and behavioral difficulties emerged as the most important predictor of burden, followed by caregiver age, unpleasant social contacts, caregiver sex, and overall coping effectiveness. Findings suggest that age differences in male and female caregivers contribute to the observed differences in burden.