OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of the sociocultural variables race/ethnicity, education, and poverty level to caregivers' positive and negative appraisals following traumatic brain injury.
DESIGN: Survey. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: 344 caregivers (216 White; 69 Black; 39 Hispanic) of persons with complicated mild to severe TBI at least one-year post-injury. INTERVENTION: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Modified Caregiver Appraisal Scale (M-CAS); Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI).
RESULTS: Black caregivers reported lower levels of perceived burden on both the M-CAS and the ZBI. Black and Hispanic caregivers reported more traditional caregiver ideology (caregiving as a responsibility) than did Whites. Greater poverty was associated with higher burden on the M-CAS, lower caregiver satisfaction, and less mastery. Higher education was associated with higher burden on the ZBI and with lower caregiver mastery.
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Treatment professionals should be culturally sensitive to the different perspectives that caregivers may have based on sociocultural factors. Sociocultural factors should be considered in research investigating caregiver outcomes, including appraisals.