Multiple sclerosis: health-promoting behaviors of spousal caregivers

This pilot study examined the relationship between health-promoting behaviors of spousal caregivers of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and dependency needs of the afflicted spouses. The study sample included 20 subjects who were residing with their spouses and served as primary caregivers. The data were collected through a semistructured interview of caregiving spouses. The health-promoting lifestyle profile (HPLP) was used to measure health-promoting behavior. The Index of ADL was employed to measure independence in activities of daily living (ADL). Descriptive statistics were calculated for demographic, ADL and health-promoting variables. Pearson product-moment correlations were employed to assess the relationship between the care recipient dependency needs and the health-promoting behavior of the caregiving spouse. Findings revealed a significant inverse relationship between level of recipient dependency and health-promoting behavior of the caregiver (r = -.394, p < .04). Further examination of health behaviors revealed that caregiving wives reported higher total frequency of health-promoting behaviors than did their husband counterparts. Additional analyses revealed subjects scored highest on the self-actualization dimension and lowest on the exercise dimension of the HPLP scale.