Hispanic and Latinx dementia family caregivers frequently face heightened stress, which can negatively impact their health and well-being. Balancing employment and caregiving responsibilities adds to this burden, potentially influencing decision-making involvement and sleep.
Objective:
This study examined the relationship between employment status, caregiver involvement in everyday decision-making, and sleep duration among Hispanic and Latinx dementia caregivers.
Methods:
A sample of 138 Hispanic and Latinx dementia caregivers completed online surveys on their daily caregiving experiences. Cross-tabulations and linear regression were used to analyze associations between employment status (full-time, part-time, retired, stopped working due to caregiving), decision-making (eg, daily activities, meals, medical care), and total sleep time.
Results:
Participants had a mean age of 55.1 years (SD = 14), were predominantly female, and primarily cared for a parent. Caregivers who stopped working due to caregiving were more involved in planning activities (χ² = 20.21, P < .027). Retired caregivers were more involved in meal planning (χ² = 17.34, P < .01), and those who stopped working were more involved in medical decisions (χ² = 35.45, P < .001). Greater decision-making involvement predicted shorter total sleep time (β = −0.198, P < .01). However, the interaction between full-time employment and decision-making involvement was significant (β = 0.235, P = .05), suggesting that full-time employment buffered the negative impact of decision-making involvement on sleep duration.
Conclusions:
Findings highlight the complex relationship between employment status, decision-making involvement, and sleep among Hispanic and Latinx dementia caregivers. Culturally tailored interventions that consider both caregiving decision-making and employment-related demands may help support caregiver health and well-being.
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