The influences of gender and religiousness on Alzheimer disease caregivers' use of informal support and formal services

Objective: This study explored how male and female family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients differ in their use of formal services and informal support and how religiousness may affect such differences. Methods: Data were from a sample of 720 family caregivers of AD patients who participated in the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Heath (REACH I) study sites in Birmingham, Boston, Memphis, and Philadelphia. Results: Female caregivers were less likely to use in-home services than males (M = 0.83 vs. M = 1.06, p <.01) but reported more use of transportation services (21.6% vs. 12.7%, p <.01) and more use of informal support (M = 13.9 vs. M = 10.7, p <.01). Mediation tests suggested that three measures of religiousness helped explain the relationship between gender and use of formal services and informal support. Discussion: These findings highlight the necessity to assess AD caregivers' religiousness to better understand their circumstances.