Gender Differences in Social Support Received by Informal Caregivers: A Personal Network Analysis Approach

María Nieves Rodríguez-Madrid, María Del Río-Lozano, Rosario Fernandez-Peña, Jaime Jiménez-Pernett, Leticia García-Mochón, Amparo Lupiañez-Castillo and María del Mar García-Calvente
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María Nieves Rodríguez-Madrid: Fundación para la Investigación Biosanitaria de Andalucía Oriental (FIBAO), 18012 Granada, Spain
María Del Río-Lozano: Andalusian School of Public Health, Consejería de Salud, Junta de Andalucía, 18080 Granada, Spain
Rosario Fernandez-Peña: Department of Nursing, SALBIS Research Group, Nursing Research Group IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, 39008 Santander, Spain
Jaime Jiménez-Pernett: Andalusian School of Public Health, Consejería de Salud, Junta de Andalucía, 18080 Granada, Spain
Leticia García-Mochón: Andalusian School of Public Health, Consejería de Salud, Junta de Andalucía, 18080 Granada, Spain
Amparo Lupiañez-Castillo: Andalusian School of Public Health, Consejería de Salud, Junta de Andalucía, 18080 Granada, Spain
María del Mar García-Calvente: Andalusian School of Public Health, Consejería de Salud, Junta de Andalucía, 18080 Granada, Spain

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Social support is an important predictor of the health of a population. Few studies have analyzed the influence of caregivers’ personal networks from a gender perspective. The aim of this study was to analyze the composition, structure, and function of informal caregiver support networks and to examine gender differences. It also aimed to explore the association between different network characteristics and self-perceived health among caregivers. We performed a social network analysis study using a convenience sample of 25 female and 25 male caregivers. A descriptive analysis of the caregivers and bivariate analyses for associations with self-perceived health were performed. The structural metrics analyzed were density; degree centrality mean; betweenness centrality mean; and number of cliques, components, and isolates. The variability observed in the structure of the networks was not explained by gender. Some significant differences between men and women were observed for network composition and function. Women received help mainly from women with a similar profile to them. Men’s networks were broader and more diverse and they had more help from outside family circles, although these outcomes were not statistically significant. Our results indicate the need to develop strategies that do not reinforce traditional gender roles, but rather encourage a greater sharing of responsibility among all parties.

Keywords: social network analysis; personal network analysis; social support; informal care; caregivers; gender differences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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