African-American women's perceived health status while caring for a relative with end stage renal disease.

This study describes health status, health status changes, and factors predicting perceived health status of 75 African-American women caring for relatives with end stage renal disease. One-third of participating caregivers rated their health as fair or poor; others reported good health. Increased worry, mood changes, and stress/tension were problematic. Numbers of prescription medications, physician office visits in the past 6 months, and health problems- along with caregiver age and depression total score-explained 31% (p = 0.000) of total variance in perceived health status. This caregiver population would benefit from health promotion interventions.