Sandwich Caregiving Among Nursing University Faculty Staff: A National Cross-Sectional Study of Prevalence and...

Although much research regarding the burdens faced by sandwich caregivers and effective coping strategies does exist, inter-study comparisons have been difficult, partly owing to inconsistencies in the definition of a sandwich caregiver. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of sandwich caregiving among nursing university faculty staff, assess differences in support needs across sandwich caregiving, childcare-only, eldercare-only, and neither groups, and identify specific types of organizational and institutional support preferred by the sandwiched caregiving group.

This cross-sectional descriptive study involved a secondary analysis of national survey data obtained in 2020 from 1,084 full-time nursing university faculty staff. Participants were categorized into four groups: sandwich caregiving, childcare-only, eldercare-only, and neither. Nineteen support needs items were assessed using a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were applied to compare groups, with national estimates calculated.

The prevalence of sandwich caregiving among nursing university faculty staff was 3.8%, corresponding to an estimated 349 individuals nationally. This prevalence was approximately 19 times higher than that in the general population and 2.7 times higher than that in married women. The sandwiched caregiving group demonstrated the highest demand rates across 11 items, with eight items exhibiting maximum differences of five percentage points or more between groups. Notably, demand for training on effective teaching methods during the COVID-19 pandemic reached 100% within this group. The sandwiched caregiving group expressed a greater need for organizational guidance and recommendations regarding research, education, and working practices.

Nursing university faculty staff experience substantially higher rates of sandwich caregiving than the general population and exhibit distinct support needs that prioritize organizational-level interventions over individual coping strategies.