Reducing the Physical Burden of Older Persons’ Household Caregivers: The Effect of Household Handrail Provision
Issued Date
2022-02-01
Resource Type
ISSN
16617827
eISSN
16604601
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85124621822
Pubmed ID
35206460
Journal Title
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume
19
Issue
4
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol.19 No.4 (2022)
Suggested Citation
Phetsitong R., Vapattanawong P. Reducing the Physical Burden of Older Persons’ Household Caregivers: The Effect of Household Handrail Provision. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol.19 No.4 (2022). doi:10.3390/ijerph19042272 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/87380
Title
Reducing the Physical Burden of Older Persons’ Household Caregivers: The Effect of Household Handrail Provision
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
The household handrail is necessary for dependent older people to perform their daily living activities, improve caregiving competency, and reduce caregiver burden. This study aimed to explore physical burden levels and examine their association with handrail provision among caregivers in older people’s households in Phuttamonthon District, Thailand, in 2017. This study used the physical dimension of the Caregiver Burden Inventory to quantify the levels of physical burden among 254 caregivers in households with a dependent older person. It classified the studied households into three categories: no handrail, one handrail, and more than one handrail. The analysis employed the ordinal logistic model approach. The findings showed that the mean physical burden score was 5 ± 3.85, indicating a high burden. After adjusting for potential factors, the caregivers in older people’s households with one handrail were less likely to experience a high physical burden than those without a handrail (OR = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.14–0.67). Nonetheless, the analysis found no significant differences in physical burden between caregivers of households with more than one handrail and those of households with no handrails. Having handrails in housing might enhance older people’s ability to adjust to disability and illness, ultimately reducing the physical care burden of caregivers. However, having the appropriate number of handrails in older people’s households should be considered.