Impact of Informal Caregiving on Health Outcomes: A Population-Based Analysis Using BRFSS Data (2015 to 2020)

Abstract

Background: Informal caregivers provide essential care to family members and friends with health problems or disabilities, yet little is known about the population-level health impacts of caregiving responsibilities. Objective: To examine the association between informal caregiver status and physical and mental health outcomes using nationally representative data. Methods: I analyzed data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2015-2020, focusing on respondents with caregiver status information (n=422,495). Care- givers were defined as individuals providing regular care or assistance to a family member or friend with a health problem or disability. Primary outcomes were poor physical health days ([≥]14 days in past month) and poor mental health days ([≥]14 days in past month). I used survey-weighted logistic regression accounting for the complex sampling design. Results: Among 422,495 respondents, 89,814 (21.3%) were caregivers. Caregivers were more likely to be female (58.4% vs 50.6%) and report poor health outcomes. After accounting for survey weights, caregivers had significantly higher odds of poor physical health (OR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.23-1.34, p<0.001) and poor mental health (OR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.63-1.77, p<0.001) compared to non-caregivers. Mental health disparities were particularly pronounced, with 16.5% of caregivers vs 10.4% of non-caregivers reporting [≥]14 poor mental health days. Conclusions: Informal caregivers experience significant health disparities compared to non- caregivers, particularly for mental health outcomes. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions and policies to support caregiver health and wellbeing.