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Caregiver Role Overload and Network Support in a Sample of Predominantly Low-Income, African-American Caregivers of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

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Abstract

While informal caregivers play an important role in improving the health of disadvantaged persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs) in the United States, caregiver role overload has the potential for distress. We used latent profile analysis (LPA) to classify caregivers based on their perceived level of support and structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relationships among role overload, perceived support, caregiver demographic characteristics, and social network members’ characteristics in a sample of 215 predominantly low-income, African-American informal caregivers. The LPA resulted in two classes of caregivers with higher and lower perceived support. The SEM results indicated that caregiver role overload was associated with being in the less supported class, younger age, and limited physical functioning, while social support class was associated with being female and being HIV seropositive in addition to support network characteristics. Interventions should address the support needs of HIV caregivers to reduce their potential for distress.

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Acknowledgment

This study was supported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse grant RO1 DA13142-01A1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. US Army Public Health Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground—Edgewood Arsenal, 5158 Blackhawk Rd, Bldg # 1570, APG-EA, Aberdeen, MD, 21010, USA

    Mary M. Mitchell

  2. Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Amy Knowlton

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  1. Mary M. Mitchell
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  2. Amy Knowlton
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Correspondence to Mary M. Mitchell.

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Mitchell, M.M., Knowlton, A. Caregiver Role Overload and Network Support in a Sample of Predominantly Low-Income, African-American Caregivers of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis. AIDS Behav 16, 278–287 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-011-9886-1

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