Open AccessHealth Consequences to Immigrant Family Caregivers in Canada
Author(s) -
Juhee V. Suwal
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
canadian studies in population
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.157
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 1927-629X
pISSN - 0380-1489
DOI - 10.25336/p6t90j
Subject(s) - immigration , reciprocity (cultural anthropology) , feeling , logistic regression , demographic economics , psychology , gerontology , medicine , social psychology , political science , economics , law
This study revisited the “double jeopardy” hypothesis in terms of the health ofimmigrant family caregivers. It also investigated the effect of “reciprocity”(feeling of giving back something) on the health of family caregivers. TheGeneral Social Survey 2002 Cycle 16 data were analyzed using χ2-test andLogistic regressions. About 16% of immigrants and 13.6% of non-immigrantssaid that their health was negatively affected as a result of caregiving.Immigrant family caregivers were three times more likely than non-immigrants to report a health consequence. Reciprocity played a big role in this outcome. Given the fact that an increasing number of culturally diverse immigrants enter Canada every year and that the immigrant population is aging, more caregivers will be in demand. Policy makers need to find ways to keep immigrant caregivers healthy so that quality care can be given to immigrant older adults and also for maintaining an overall healthy Canada.