Identifying Future Caregivers via Current Social and Economic Resources

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• Aging populations and smaller family sizes create a growing need for family caregivers.
• Current social services and policies require time for development and implementation.
• Anticipating future caregiver needs is essential for proactive planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify characteristics of individuals who are current, future, or non-caregivers.
• To understand the demographic and socioeconomic factors differentiating these groups.
• To inform policy and service development for an evolving caregiving landscape.

Main Methods:

• Utilized multinomial logistic regression analyses.
• Employed data from the 2022 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
• Analyzed distinctions between current caregivers, anticipated caregivers, unsure individuals, and non-caregivers.

Main Results:

• Age, sex, and race significantly differentiated caregiver groups, with varying patterns.
• Individuals unsure about future caregiving were older and less likely to be white non-Hispanic than current caregivers.
• Current caregivers faced greater economic Social Determinants of Health challenges compared to future or non-caregivers.

Conclusions:

• Future caregivers are likely to be more diverse than current caregivers.
• Proactive planning is necessary to address the anticipated needs of a changing caregiver population.
• Understanding demographic and socioeconomic factors is key to supporting future family caregivers.