TitleUnpaid Caregiving Roles and Sleep Among Women Working in Nursing Homes: A Longitudinal Study.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2019
AuthorsDePasquale, N, Sliwinski, MJ, Zarit, SH, Buxton, OM, Almeida, DM
JournalGerontologist
Volume59
Issue3
Pagination474-485
Date Published2019 May 17
ISSN1758-5341
KeywordsAdult, Caregivers, Female, Health Personnel, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Longitudinal Studies, Nursing Homes, Sleep Deprivation
Abstract

<p><b>BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: </b>Although sleep is a critical health outcome providing insight into overall health, well-being, and role functioning, little is known about the sleep consequences of simultaneously occupying paid and unpaid caregiving roles. This study investigated the frequency with which women employed in U.S.-based nursing homes entered and exited unpaid caregiving roles for children (double-duty-child caregivers), adults (double-duty-elder caregivers), or both (triple-duty caregivers), as well as examined how combinations of and changes in these caregiving roles related to cross-sectional and longitudinal sleep patterns.</p><p><b>RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: </b>The sample comprised 1,135 women long-term care employees who participated in the baseline wave of the Work, Family, and Health Study and were assessed at three follow-up time points (6-, 12-, and 18-months). Sleep was assessed with items primarily adapted from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and wrist actigraphic recordings. Multilevel models with data nested within persons were applied.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>Women long-term care employees entered and exited the unpaid elder caregiving role most frequently. At baseline, double-duty-child and triple-duty caregivers reported shorter sleep quantity and poorer sleep quality than their counterparts without unpaid caregiving roles, or workplace-only caregivers. Double-duty-elder caregivers also reported shorter sleep duration compared to workplace-only caregivers. Over time, double-duty-elder caregiving role entry was associated with negative changes in subjective sleep quantity and quality.</p><p><b>DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: </b>Simultaneously occupying paid and unpaid caregiving roles has negative implications for subjective sleep characteristics. These results call for further research to advance understanding of double-and-triple-duty caregivers' sleep health and facilitate targeted intervention development.</p>

DOI10.1093/geront/gnx185
Alternate JournalGerontologist
PubMed ID29360993
PubMed Central IDPMC6524484
Grant ListU01 HD051217 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
U01 HD051256 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
U01 OH008788 / OH / NIOSH CDC HHS / United States
U01 AG027669 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
U01 HD059773 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
U01 HD051276 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
U01 HD051218 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
F31 AG050385 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States