Kinship moderates the association between a demented individual's behavioral disturbance and a caregiver's burden: Findings from a national survey in Taiwan.

Aim: The present study aimed to assess the moderating role of kinship between the behavioral disturbance of care recipients (CRs) with dementia and the caregivers' (CGs') burden in Taiwan.

Methods: The data of 965 CG-CR dyads on the behavioral disturbance of CR with dementia, CG burden, CG kinship to CR and other relevant variables were obtained from the Assessment of the National Long-Term Care Need in Taiwan (ANLTCNT). To test the moderating effect of CG-CR kinship on the association between behavioral disturbance of CR and CG burden, a series of hierarchical multiple linear regression models were used after controlling for potential factors associated with CG burden.

Results: Different kinships had significant differences in terms of burden, except for relational burden. The interaction terms (of CRs' behavioral disturbance by kinship) were not significant on burden of time and emotional burden. On relational burden, the impact of CRs' behavioral disturbance on CG burden was significantly higher for a wife than for a daughter-in-law or a son. The impact of CRs' behavioral disturbance on financial burden was lower for a wife than for a daughter-in-law. In terms of the total burden, the impact of CRs' behavioral disturbance was higher for a daughter than for a son.

Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of CG kinship to CR moderating the association between the CRs' level of behavioral disturbance and the CGs' relational, financial, and total burden, when refining kinship-oriented interventions for community services to CRs with dementia and their CGs. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 1272-1280.