Employment of Young Adult Cancer Caregivers, Other Disease Caregivers, and Non-Caregiving Adults

Echo L. Warner, Andrew R. Wilson, Jessica G. Rainbow, Lee Ellington and Anne C. Kirchhoff
Additional contact information
Echo L. Warner: University of Arizona Cancer Center, 1515 N Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
Andrew R. Wilson: Parexel International, 2520 Meridian Pkwy # 200, Durham, NC 27713, USA
Jessica G. Rainbow: University of Arizona College of Nursing, 1305 N Martin Ave, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Lee Ellington: University of Utah College of Nursing, 10 2000 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
Anne C. Kirchhoff: Huntsman Cancer Institute, Cancer Control and Population Sciences, 2000 Cir of Hope Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-6

Abstract: Young adults are increasingly taking on caregiving roles in the United States, and cancer caregivers often experience a greater burden than other caregivers. An unexpected caregiving role may disrupt caregiver employment, leading to lost earning potential and workforce re-entry challenges. We examined caregiving employment among young adult caregivers (i.e., family or friends) using the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), which included caregiving, employment, and sociodemographic variables. Respondents’ ages varied between 18 and 39, and they were categorized as non-caregivers ( n = 16,009), other caregivers ( n = 3512), and cancer caregivers ( n = 325). Current employment was compared using Poisson regressions to estimate adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), including gender-stratified models. We estimated employment by cancer caregiving intensity (low, moderate, high). Cancer caregivers at all other income levels were more likely to be employed than those earning below USD 20,000 (aIRR ranged: 1.88–2.10, all p < 0.015). Female cancer caregivers who were 25–29 (aIRR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.51–1.00) and single (aIRR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.52–0.95) were less likely to be employed than their counterparts. College-educated males were 19% less likely to be employed than high school-educated caregivers (95% CI = 0.68–0.98). Evaluating caregiver employment goals and personal financial situations may help identify those at risk for employment detriments, especially among females, those with lower educational attainment, and those earning below USD 20,000 annually.

Keywords: adolescent and young adult; cancer caregiver; employment; caregiver; caregiving intensity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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