The sample of this study consisted of 140 informal caregivers who provided care to the older adults(over 60 years of age) in Great Cleveland, USA. Self-rated questionnaires were utilized to collect information. The purpose of the study was to identify coping strategies most frequently utilized by informal caregivers of older adults and to examine predictors of the caregivers' health responses to the caregiving situation applying Lazarus and Folkman stress model(1984). Stepwise multiple regression was used to identify significant predictors among caregivers' demographic-socio-economic factors, older adult's dependency of activities of daily living(ADLs), caregiver's appraisal to the caregiving situation, and coping strategies. Informal caregivers (N=140) included in the study utilized help-seeking and problem-solving coping strategies more than self-blame and minimization of threat coping strategies. Caregivers' responses to the caregiving situation were observed by caregivers' perceived physical health, depression and life satisfaction. For perceived physical health, threat appraisal, older adult's dependency on ADLs, existential growth coping strategy, and monthly income accounted for 25% of the variance. Caregivers who appraised the caregiving situation as more threatening, reported higher dependency on ADLs, used more existential growth coping strategy, and had higher monthly income reported better physical health. For depression, threat appraisal, stress appraisal, existential growth coping strategy, self-blame coping strategy, and monthly income accounted for 48% of the variance. Caregivers who used more existential growth coping and less self-blame coping, appraised the situation as less threatening, less stressful, and had higher monthly income reported less depression. For life satisfaction, self-blame coping, existential growth coping, monthly income, stress appraisal accounted for 49% of the variance. Caregivers who used more existential growth coping, less self-blame coping, less stress appraisal, lower monthly income reported better life satisfaction. In conclusion, informal caregivers in this study utilized positive coping strategies such as problem-focused, existential growth, help-seeking, rather than negative coping strategies including self-blame. When they utilized positive coping strategies more often, caregivers experienced higher perceived physical health, higher life satisfaction and lower depression. Therefore, nursing intervention which utilized positive coping strategies is needed to enhance informal caregivers to have positive health responses to the caregiving demands.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Factors Influencing the Quality of Life of Caregiver using Day Care Service
  Hyun Jeong No, Yeon Hee Choi
  Journal of East-West Nursing Research.2013; 19(1): 1.     CrossRef
• Family Caregiver Burden by Relationship to Care Recipient with Dementia in Korea
  Gwi-Ryung Son Hong, Hyojeong Kim
  Geriatric Nursing.2008; 29(4): 267.     CrossRef

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Effectiveness of an Ongoing, Community-Based Breast Cancer Prevention Program for Korean American Women
  Eun Koh, Ga-Young Choi, Ji Young Cho
  Health & Social Work.2016; 41(1): 51.     CrossRef
• Effects of Tailored Message Education About Breast Cancer Risk Appraisal for Obese Korean Women
  SoMi Park, ChaeWeon Chung, Barbara B. Cochrane
  Oncology Nursing Forum.2013; 40(6): E382.     CrossRef
• The effectiveness of a nurse-delivered breast health promotion program on breast cancer screening behaviours in non-adherent Turkish women: A randomized controlled trial
  Selda Secginli, Nursen O. Nahcivan
  International Journal of Nursing Studies.2011; 48(1): 24.     CrossRef
• Effects on Nursing Students of Cognition-Behavior Integrated Breast Cancer Prevention Education Using an Interchangeable Nodule Model
  So Mi Park, Bo Hwan Kim, Mi Jeong Park, Yang Heui Ahn, Chae Weon Chung
  Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing.2010; 16(2): 166.     CrossRef
• Development of an Integrated Breast Health Program for Prevention of Breast Cancer among Middle-aged Women
  Hea Kung Hur, So Mi Park, Chang Hee Kim, Jong-Ku Park, Sang Baek Koh, Gi Yon Kim
  Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing.2009; 15(1): 54.     CrossRef
• Factors Affecting Mammography Behavior and Intention Among Korean Women
  Ok Kyung Ham
  Oncology Nursing Forum.2006; 33(1): 113.     CrossRef
• The Intention of Future Mammography Screening Among Korean Women
  Ok Kyung Ham
  Journal of Community Health Nursing.2005; 22(1): 1.     CrossRef

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Development of Performance Indicators for Clinical Research Coordinators Using the Balanced Scorecard in South Korea
  Youn Sun Hwang, Tae Wha Lee
  Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science.2019; : 216847901987075.     CrossRef
• Augmenting Walkability, Visibility and Arrangement for Korean ICU
  Javaria Manzoor Shaikh
  Sir Syed University Research Journal of Engineering & Technology.2015; 5(1): 20.     CrossRef
• Development and Application of a Performance Prediction Model for Home Care Nursing Based on a Balanced Scorecard using the Bayesian Belief Network
  Wonjung Noh, GyeongAe Seomun
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing.2015; 45(3): 429.     CrossRef
• Testing The Healing Environment Conditions for Nurses with two Independent Variables: Visibility Enhancement along with Shortening the Walking Distance of the Nurses to Patient - Focused on LogWare stop sequence and space syntax for U-Shape, L- Shape and
  Javaria Manzoor Shaikh, Jae Seung Park
  KIEAE Journal.2015; 15(2): 19.     CrossRef
• Barrier free visibility for staff in ICU Focused on space syntax for circulation in Asian ICU
  Javaria Manzoor Shaikh
  Sir Syed University Research Journal of Engineering & Technology.2014; 4(1): 9.     CrossRef