Burdens and challenges of hospital-based informal caregiving in Africa: A scoping review

Journal of community systems for health /, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 2(1)

Published: Jan. 8, 2025

Introduction: Informal caregivers (ICs) play a crucial role in healthcare, particularly resource-limited settings where they help alleviate staff shortages. Despite their invaluable contributions, the literature on challenges of ICs remains sparse. This scoping review addresses this gap by exploring burdens and faced those engaged hospital-based informal caregiving African contexts. The study focuses hospital environments, acknowledging unique posed structured settings. Methods: systematically searches relevant from 2000 to 2024, concentrating Databases including Web Science, Medline, PsycINFO, SociIndex, CINAHL, Africa-wide, Academic Search Complete, PubMed were queried. Abstracts independently assessed for relevance, potentially eligible studies' full texts examined two authors. Papers selected based following inclusion criteria: (1) reported stress experienced caregivers; (2) focused research conducted Africa; (3) published English; (4) between January 1, 2000, August 31, 2024. Results: included 26 studies, with majority Nigeria (n=6), followed four each South Africa Uganda. Thirteen studies employed qualitative methods, ten utilized quantitative three adopted mixed methods. Qualitative approaches primarily interview-based, limited use ethnographic methods or group-based techniques like focus group discussions. Family members, spouses, parents, siblings, extended relatives, commonly assumed roles. themes include physical health burden caregiving, socio-economic challenges, emotional distress social isolation, family strain. Conclusion: provides valuable insights into an overlooked aspect shedding light ICs. By addressing knowledge gap, it lays groundwork future research, policy development, interventions support

Language: Английский

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Government Governance, Family Financial Support, and Financial Well-being of the Elderly: Evidence from CHARLS Data

Finance research letters, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 106807 - 106807

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Informal Caregivers Connecting on the Web: Content Analysis of Posts on Discussion Forums

JMIR Formative Research, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 9, P. e64757 - e64757

Published: Jan. 17, 2025

About 53 million adults in the United States offer informal care to family and friends with disease or disability. Such has an estimated economic value of US $600 million. Most caregivers are not paid nor trained caregiving, many experiencing higher-than-average levels stress depression lower physical health. Some participate web-based forums related their caregiving role. This study aimed explore how use easy-to-access forums, including types information they share seek from others. It also gain insights into caregiver experience content these posted. The population consisted participants who posted on 5 for between February April 2024. Researchers extracted first 6 responses 20 questions comments appear by each removing any individually identifying information. We used a codebook thematic analysis approach examine data Dedoose (SocioCultural Research Consultants). independently read all posts coded data. author group discussed codes, reiteratively refined them, identified themes within 100 initial 600 responses. Over half included specific questions, remaining sharing experiences reflections. Posts ranged length sentence more than 500 words. Domains handling interpersonal challenges, navigating complicated systems, gathering tactical coping strategies, managing emotions, connecting others similar situations. Negative interactions were mentioned 123 times, 77 describing challenging situations extended family. Posters inquired about accessing resources, health insurance 51 while legal financial concerns addressed 124 times. Caregiving challenges hundreds discussion hygiene (n=18), nutrition (n=21), desire break (n=47). expressed emotion 180 which 32 mentions guilt 26 positive emotion. importance support was 301 Informal play essential role society. Many multifaceted role, some turn internet community. Accessing is low-barrier method connect may be emotions challenges. Gaining greater understanding ways advice one another provides insight face. domains helpful, as clinicians provide recipients along journeys.

Language: Английский

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Financial health and well-being of rural female caregivers of older adults with chronic illnesses

BMC Geriatrics, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 25(1)

Published: April 10, 2025

Abstract Background Rural caregivers experience significant financial stressors while caring for their older family members with chronic illnesses. Limited access to care, support, and resources in rural areas poses threats insecurity some caregivers. As the majority of are women, these challenges also represent gender disparities, role imbalances, division labor society that has rarely been explored literature from a context. To address gaps, our study aims explore lived experiences burdens struggles female adults illness. Method Using purposive sampling approach, qualitative interviews among N = 20 woman any serious illness was carried out. Interviews were done in-person, telephone or online as preferred by participants. Each interview about 45–60 min. All data recorded, transcribed, analyzed using thematic content analysis approach. Results Our findings showed imbalances disparities women Major themes identified indirect caregiving costs, direct barriers navigating support systems. Participants reported losing jobs, experiencing stress poor wellbeing, time constraints, losses, pension plan health coverage benefits themselves family. Barriers include decision making documentation struggles, difficulties accessing savings other legal complications. Conclusion face insecurities exacerbated interplay roles inequities. These inequities need be addressed better policies interventions. Provision services guidance disadvantaged resources, planning decision-making processes is needed. Future comparative longitudinal studies recommended see long-term effects on wellbeing communities.

Language: Английский

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Exploring large language models for summarizing and interpreting an online brain tumor support forum

Digital Health, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 11

Published: April 1, 2025

Objective This study explored the capabilities of large language models (LLMs) GPT-3.5, GPT-4, and Llama 3 to summarize qualitative data from an online brain tumor support forum, assessing differences between these methods traditional thematic analysis. Methods Eight posts responses were collected in September 2024 American Brain Tumor Association Support Group, using passive/unobtrusive method. The analyzed two methods: (1) coding with Dedoose software (2) summarization interpretation LLMs. Prompts guided LLMs generating summaries identifying key challenges, results evaluated metrics BLEU, ROUGE-1, ROUGE-2, ROUGE-L, METEOR, BERTScore (f1). Flesch-Kincaid grade levels readability ease scores also calculated compared. Results GPT-4 demonstrated superior performance across ROUGE METEOR metrics, outperforming GPT-3.5 3. Semantic similarity comparable models. GPT-4's capacity process entire transcripts increased efficiency, while required segmenting. Summaries produced by aligned closely human-generated analysis, significant reductions time labor. Conclusion LLMs, particularly show strong potential for summarizing complex, health data, offering time-efficient consistent outputs. These tools may enhance research efficiency patient-centered environments. However, challenges such as training biases limitations some warrant further investigation.

Language: Английский

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Family caregiving in research and practice: Editorial – PEC innovation

PEC Innovation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 100396 - 100396

Published: April 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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