Direct and Indirect Predictors of Burden in Arab-Bedouin and Jewish-Israeli Mothers Caring for a Child with Epilepsy
Objective: Caring for a child with epilepsy poses various psychological, physical and medical challenges; these can lead to caregiver burden. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of burden with mothers caring for a child with epilepsy. Our analyses included sociodemographic (e.g., ethnic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/19/2662 |
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| author | Idit Joss Yaacov G. Bachner Talia Shorer Zamir Shorer Norm O’Rourke |
| author_facet | Idit Joss Yaacov G. Bachner Talia Shorer Zamir Shorer Norm O’Rourke |
| author_sort | Idit Joss |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: Caring for a child with epilepsy poses various psychological, physical and medical challenges; these can lead to caregiver burden. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of burden with mothers caring for a child with epilepsy. Our analyses included sociodemographic (e.g., ethnicity), mental health (e.g., symptoms of anxiety, depression) and physiological factors (e.g., extent of pharmacotherapy). Methods: A total of 168 mothers caring for a child with epilepsy were recruited while attending the Pediatric Neurology Clinic at Soroka Medical Center, Be’er Sheva, Israel. This cross-sectional sample included 130 Jewish-Israeli and 38 Arab-Bedouin mothers who completed parallel questionnaire batteries that included the Zarit Burden Interview and other scales translated and validated in Hebrew and Arabic. We computed path analyses to identify both direct and indirect predictors of caregiver burden. Results: Burden was directly predicted by emotional exhaustion, symptoms of anxiety and (Bedouin) ethnicity. Indirect effects on burden included illness severity (via emotional exhaustion), ethnicity and emotional exhaustion (both via anxiety). That is, both ethnicity and emotional exhaustion directly and indirectly predicted caregiver burden via greater anxiety. Illness severity indirectly predicted symptoms of depression, anxiety and caregiver burden. We found that 55% of epilepsy care burden was predicted by this path model. Conclusions: Bedouin mothers reported greater illness severity, symptoms of depression, anxiety and caregiver burden. Differences between groups in epilepsy severity suggest that less severe cases in the Bedouin community do not come to clinical attention (e.g., are concealed due to stigma). These findings underscore the need for health promotion strategies and interventions for caregivers tailored to account for ethnic and cultural differences. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:44:37Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-5bd3b9eb34094de0942b7ec964b7d8422023-11-19T14:25:30ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-10-011119266210.3390/healthcare11192662Direct and Indirect Predictors of Burden in Arab-Bedouin and Jewish-Israeli Mothers Caring for a Child with EpilepsyIdit Joss0Yaacov G. Bachner1Talia Shorer2Zamir Shorer3Norm O’Rourke4Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Community Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva 8410501, IsraelDepartment of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Community Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva 8410501, IsraelPediatric Neurology Unit, Soroka Medical Center, Be’er Sheva 84101, IsraelPediatric Neurology Unit, Soroka Medical Center, Be’er Sheva 84101, IsraelDepartment of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Community Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva 8410501, IsraelObjective: Caring for a child with epilepsy poses various psychological, physical and medical challenges; these can lead to caregiver burden. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of burden with mothers caring for a child with epilepsy. Our analyses included sociodemographic (e.g., ethnicity), mental health (e.g., symptoms of anxiety, depression) and physiological factors (e.g., extent of pharmacotherapy). Methods: A total of 168 mothers caring for a child with epilepsy were recruited while attending the Pediatric Neurology Clinic at Soroka Medical Center, Be’er Sheva, Israel. This cross-sectional sample included 130 Jewish-Israeli and 38 Arab-Bedouin mothers who completed parallel questionnaire batteries that included the Zarit Burden Interview and other scales translated and validated in Hebrew and Arabic. We computed path analyses to identify both direct and indirect predictors of caregiver burden. Results: Burden was directly predicted by emotional exhaustion, symptoms of anxiety and (Bedouin) ethnicity. Indirect effects on burden included illness severity (via emotional exhaustion), ethnicity and emotional exhaustion (both via anxiety). That is, both ethnicity and emotional exhaustion directly and indirectly predicted caregiver burden via greater anxiety. Illness severity indirectly predicted symptoms of depression, anxiety and caregiver burden. We found that 55% of epilepsy care burden was predicted by this path model. Conclusions: Bedouin mothers reported greater illness severity, symptoms of depression, anxiety and caregiver burden. Differences between groups in epilepsy severity suggest that less severe cases in the Bedouin community do not come to clinical attention (e.g., are concealed due to stigma). These findings underscore the need for health promotion strategies and interventions for caregivers tailored to account for ethnic and cultural differences.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/19/2662caregiver burdenepilepsyethnic differencesfamily caremotherspath analysis |
| spellingShingle | Idit Joss Yaacov G. Bachner Talia Shorer Zamir Shorer Norm O’Rourke Direct and Indirect Predictors of Burden in Arab-Bedouin and Jewish-Israeli Mothers Caring for a Child with Epilepsy Healthcare caregiver burden epilepsy ethnic differences family care mothers path analysis |
| title | Direct and Indirect Predictors of Burden in Arab-Bedouin and Jewish-Israeli Mothers Caring for a Child with Epilepsy |
| title_full | Direct and Indirect Predictors of Burden in Arab-Bedouin and Jewish-Israeli Mothers Caring for a Child with Epilepsy |
| title_fullStr | Direct and Indirect Predictors of Burden in Arab-Bedouin and Jewish-Israeli Mothers Caring for a Child with Epilepsy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Direct and Indirect Predictors of Burden in Arab-Bedouin and Jewish-Israeli Mothers Caring for a Child with Epilepsy |
| title_short | Direct and Indirect Predictors of Burden in Arab-Bedouin and Jewish-Israeli Mothers Caring for a Child with Epilepsy |
| title_sort | direct and indirect predictors of burden in arab bedouin and jewish israeli mothers caring for a child with epilepsy |
| topic | caregiver burden epilepsy ethnic differences family care mothers path analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/19/2662 |
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