Factors related to cognitive performance among black caregivers of persons living with a chronic illness: An exploratory study.
Glenna Brewster, Irene Yang, Jordan Pelkmans and 4 others
PMID 39013234WHAT IT FOUND
Among 56 Black caregivers, women and college-educated participants scored higher on cognitive tests.
Caregivers with normal cognition reported feeling less personal gain from caregiving and more race-related stress. Small sample size and cross-sectional design limit conclusions.
Key findings
01Female caregivers were over five times more likely to be in the normal cognition group, and college education decreased the likelihood of low cognition by 80%.
02Caregivers with normal cognition scored significantly lower on perceptions of reward gained from caregiving compared to those with low cognition.
03Caregivers with normal cognition reported higher levels of race-related stress, specifically regarding institutional and individual racism, compared to those with low cognition.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Very small sample size (n=56) limits statistical power and generalizability. Cross-sectional design cannot establish causality or direction of associations. The study did not control for age and education in the analyses due to sample size. The MoCA cut-off of 26 may misclassify cognitively normal Black individuals as impaired. Data collection methods varied between the two source studies (remote vs in-person).
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the finding that caregivers with normal cognition reported less personal gain from caregiving as evidence that feeling rewarded causes cognitive decline. The cross-sectional design cannot determine whether cognitive status influences perception of reward, or vice versa.