Sociodemographic Disparities in the Health Status of Informal Caregivers
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Background: and Objectives: In the United States, Rural–urban differences in the health and well-being of unpaid caregivers are well documented, but the intersection of rurality and race/ethnicity among caregivers remains understudied. This study aims to evaluate rural–urban and racial/ethnic differences in the health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of caregivers. Research Design and Methods: Data for this U.S.- based cross-sectional study comes from the 2021–2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (n = 44,274). Rao-Scott chi-square tests and logistic regression, with appropriate survey weighting, were used to analyze rural–urban and racial/ethnic differences in caregiver attributes HRQoL. Rurality was classified at the county level using the National Center for Health Statistics definition. Results: Both rural and urban non-Hispanic Black caregivers had greater odds of reporting their general health as fair/poor (rural: adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.94, 95% CIs: 1.31–2.89; urban: aOR: 1.66, 95% CIs: 1.28–2.17) than non-Hispanic White caregivers. In rural areas, Black caregivers had lower odds reporting 14+ days of poor mental health in the past month (aOR: 0.50, 95% CIs: 0.33, 0.75) than White caregivers. Discussion: and Implications: Caregiver health perception varies significantly by race/ethnicity, demonstrating a need for culturally tailored support services for both rural and urban caregivers.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Publication Info
Published in Gerontologist, Volume 66, Issue 6, 2026.
APA Citation
Boswell, E., Brown, M. J., Donelle, L., Yell, N., Farrell, T., Hung, P., & Crouch, E. (2026). Sociodemographic disparities in the health status of informal caregivers. The Gerontologist, 66(6), gnag046. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnag046
Rights
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