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Table 1 Descriptive statistics of four samples by employment status

From: Distinct impacts of high intensity caregiving on caregivers’ mental health and continuation of caregiving

Variables

Non-working

Irregular employees

Regular employees

Total

Inactive persons

Care leave

N

Mean

S.D.

N

Mean

S.D.

N

Mean

S.D.

N

Mean

S.D.

N

Mean

S.D.

Dependent variables

 High-intensity caregiving

4715

0.309

0.46

3445

0.272

0.44

784

0.503

0.50

6978

0.208

0.41

3580

0.144

0.35

 High-intensity caregiving (initial)

3957

0.144

0.35

2943

0.131

0.34

618

0.244

0.43

5804

0.085

0.28

2852

0.059

0.24

 High-intensity caregiving (20–40 h)

4715

0.165

0.37

3445

0.154

0.36

784

0.228

0.42

6978

0.128

0.33

3580

0.090

0.29

 Ultra-high-intensity caregiving (40 h or more)

4715

0.145

0.35

3445

0.118

0.32

784

0.274

0.45

6978

0.080

0.27

3580

0.054

0.23

Sum of K6

4483

4.834

4.71

3277

4.493

4.57

750

5.991

4.97

6540

4.272

4.47

3440

3.903

4.29

 Serious mental health (13 ≤ K6)

4715

0.119

0.32

3445

0.111

0.31

784

0.143

0.35

6978

0.115

0.32

3580

0.082

0.27

 Moderate mental health (5 ≤ K6 < 13)

4715

0.344

0.47

3445

0.316

0.47

784

0.430

0.50

6978

0.311

0.46

3580

0.297

0.46

Explanatory variables

 Co-residential caregiving

4715

0.743

0.44

3445

0.721

0.45

784

0.809

0.39

6978

0.791

0.41

3580

0.825

0.38

 Sex (male = 1)

4715

0.145

0.35

3445

0.121

0.33

784

0.121

0.33

6978

0.353

0.48

3580

0.638

0.48

 Age

4715

57.56

2.97

3445

57.87

2.91

784

56.72

2.93

6978

57.11

2.99

3580

56.07

2.71

 Married

4715

0.737

0.44

3445

0.732

0.44

784

0.754

0.43

6978

0.765

0.42

3580

0.792

0.41

 Divorced or widowed

4715

0.010

0.10

3445

0.008

0.09

784

0.010

0.10

6978

0.013

0.11

3580

0.016

0.13

Care recipient

 Father

4715

0.144

0.35

3445

0.139

0.35

784

0.163

0.37

6978

0.173

0.38

3580

0.221

0.41

 Mother

4715

0.478

0.50

3445

0.472

0.50

784

0.469

0.50

6978

0.472

0.50

3580

0.532

0.50

 Father-in-law

4715

0.083

0.28

3445

0.077

0.27

784

0.106

0.31

6978

0.094

0.29

3580

0.077

0.27

 Mother-in-law

4715

0.287

0.45

3445

0.298

0.46

784

0.283

0.45

6978

0.279

0.45

3580

0.211

0.41

Caregiver’s income source, health status

 Relative resources or logged wage rate

4715

1.627

2.09

3445

1.712

2.10

784

1.638

2.05

5356

0.818

0.28

2985

0.927

0.15

 Dummy for difficulty in daily life activities

4557

0.175

0.38

3339

0.181

0.39

752

0.156

0.36

6690

0.116

0.32

3477

0.078

0.27

 Dummy for medication or doctor’s consultation

4715

0.297

0.46

3445

0.317

0.47

784

0.224

0.42

6978

0.289

0.45

3580

0.304

0.46

 Dummy for hospitalization during the past year

4715

0.024

0.15

3445

0.027

0.16

784

0.011

0.11

6978

0.016

0.13

3580

0.018

0.13

 Diabetes

4024

0.093

0.29

2970

0.095

0.29

659

0.064

0.24

5831

0.091

0.29

3183

0.094

0.29

 Heart disease (angina, myocardial infarction)

4018

0.041

0.20

2962

0.044

0.20

661

0.024

0.15

5825

0.042

0.20

3183

0.038

0.19

 Cerebral stroke

4017

0.022

0.15

2961

0.024

0.15

660

0.006

0.08

5822

0.015

0.12

3180

0.013

0.11

 Hypertension

4034

0.234

0.42

2972

0.248

0.43

665

0.203

0.40

5855

0.263

0.44

3195

0.250

0.43

 Hyperlipidemia

4026

0.166

0.37

2968

0.175

0.38

661

0.127

0.33

5837

0.163

0.37

3192

0.196

0.40

 Cancer

4012

0.032

0.18

2958

0.038

0.19

659

0.009

0.10

5808

0.021

0.14

3173

0.020

0.14

Caregiver’s lifestyle

 Having friends/acquaintances

4642

0.829

0.38

3390

0.833

0.37

776

0.825

0.38

6789

0.867

0.34

3527

0.841

0.37

 Dummy for current smoker

4715

0.136

0.34

3445

0.118

0.32

784

0.125

0.33

6978

0.226

0.42

3580

0.295

0.46

 Dummy for almost every day or every day drinker

4715

0.303

0.46

3445

0.299

0.46

784

0.328

0.47

6978

0.289

0.45

3580

0.258

0.44

 Dummy for regular physical activity

4715

0.542

0.50

3445

0.552

0.50

784

0.503

0.50

6978

0.420

0.49

3580

0.426

0.49

  1. High-intensity caregiving (initial) refers to high-intensity caregiving in 2005, when the LSMEP launched
  2. Sources: Longitudinal Survey of Middle-aged and Elderly Persons 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009