Clinical trial NCT06724757: Survey for Caregivers Aged 50 and Over
Official title: Survey for Caregivers Aged 50 and Over
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
Conditions: Caregiver Wellbeing
Caregiver Mental Health
Caregivers
Health
Lead sponsor: Centre integre universitaire de sante et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal
Sponsor class: OTHER_GOV
First posted: 2024-12-09
Enrollment: 10000
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 50
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: CASE_ONLY
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Caregivers aged 50 years old and older living in Quebec

Brief summary: There are more and more informal caregivers (PPA) in Quebec. Their increase between 2012 and 2018, according to data from the "General Social Survey - Care Given and Received," was significant, around 32%. The available data paint a typical portrait of a Quebec caregiver: (a) she is a woman, (b) aged between 50-55 years, (c) who devotes at least 3 hours of her time per week, on a regular basis, (d) to caring for an elderly parent. To this date, there is no reliable data on the health status-whether mental, physical, or social-of caregivers in Quebec. Yet this information is crucial because it affects the ability of caregivers to fulfill their role and, consequently, the stable health of the individuals they care for, allowing them to continue living at home. This situation exposes caregivers to a decline in their own health, and by extension, the health of those they care for. The fact that the typical Quebec caregiver is 50 years old or older increases the risk of health deterioration within the caregiver-care receiver pair. Indeed, age 50 is when the effects of physiological and pathological aging begin to impact the physical capacities of the elderly. Developing new practices that focus on the health characteristics of both caregivers and care receivers, in order to prevent health deterioration, is therefore a crucial step in supporting caregivers in their role and ensuring that care receivers can stay at home in good conditions for as long as possible.

The issue of caregivers' health is still under-addressed in Quebec, both in the scientific literature and in population surveys. It seems that caregivers need a comprehensive evaluation of their health status (physical, mental, and social), given the significant impact caregiving has on their health. Research conducted within the Living Lab, led by Dr. Beauchet's team, has helped develop tools and questionnaires that effectively assess the frailty of individuals aged 50 and over and produce reports that raise awareness about their health status, enabling them to implement future care solutions that meet their needs.

The overall objective is to assess the health status (mental, physical, social) of caregivers aged 50 and over, living in Quebec-through self-assessment to make them aware of their actual health condition and engage them in a process of self-care.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Be a caregiver
* Be 50 years old or older
* Reside in Quebec for at least 6 months and 1 day of the year
* Have an internet connection with an electronic device (computer, touch tablet or smartphone)
* Read and understand written French or English. The questionnaire is only available in these 2 languages.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Living in a Centre d'Hébergement et de Soins de Longue Durée (CHSLD) (long-term care centre) or in the medicalized sector of a seniors' residence.
* Participate in a concurrent interventional study (study involving medication or therapeutic intervention, etc.).

Primary outcomes:
measure: Physical health using the CARE frailty scale
timeFrame: Questionnaire completed once (15 minutes) between October 2024 and February 2025
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Caregiver burden with the 4-item Zarit score (/20)
timeFrame: Questionnaire completed once (15 minutes) between October 2024 and February 2025
measure: Depression with the 4-item GDS score (/4)
timeFrame: Questionnaire completed once (15 minutes) between October 2024 and February 2025
measure: Social isolation
timeFrame: Questionnaire completed once (15 minutes) between October 2024 and February 2025
measure: Loneliness with the UCLA score (/9)
timeFrame: Questionnaire completed once (15 minutes) between October 2024 and February 2025
measure: Perceived health scores
timeFrame: Questionnaire completed once (15 minutes) between October 2024 and February 2025
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Montréal
country: Canada
facility: CRIUGM
state: Quebec
Study officials:
References: