Care Need, Caregiver Availability, and Care Receipt: Variations Across Countries and Over Time in Three Middle-Income...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Global Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Dementia prevalence is projected to rise faster in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) compared to high-income countries (HIC).
• Limited research exists on dementia care within LMIC settings.
• This study addresses the gap by examining dementia care needs and receipt in China, Mexico, and India.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate dementia care needs and care receipt in three LMIC.
• To analyze the association between caregiver availability and informal care receipt across diverse cultural contexts.

Main Methods:

• Utilized harmonized data from the Gateway to Global Aging Data for China, Mexico, and India.
• Included individuals aged 65 and older with cognitive impairment (N=15,118).
• Employed logistic regression to assess the relationship between caregiver availability and informal care receipt, considering activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living.

Main Results:

• Care need patterns were similar across countries and over time.
• The link between caregiver availability and informal care receipt showed cross-country variations.
• Living with family increased informal care likelihood in China and India, but primarily for men in Mexico.
• Caregiver availability's impact on informal care receipt differed based on the care recipient's gender.

Conclusions:

• Living with family generally enhances informal care receipt in China, Mexico, and India.
• Significant cross-country and temporal variations exist in the caregiver availability-informal care receipt relationship.
• Gender plays a role in the association between caregiver availability and informal care receipt.