Psychological and behavioral moderators of physical health among caregivers and non-caregivers

The current study sought to evaluate whether psychological and/or behavioral health moderate the relationship between caregiving and physical health. Materials and Methods. Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey (2017–2018), separate composite scores were created for psychological and behavioral health. Self-reported physical health was the primary outcome. The sample was 1,387 non-caregivers and 266 caregivers. Results. The psychological, behavioral, and self-reported physical health did not significantly differ between caregivers and non-caregivers, but psychological and behavioral health were shown to differentially affect self-reported health outcomes among caregivers, compared to non-caregivers. Caregivers with worse psychological health had higher odds of experiencing poor physical health versus non-caregivers, while caregivers with better behavioral health had lower odds of having better general health versus non-caregivers. Discussion: These data extend our understanding on how to consider the impact of psychological and behavioral health as a caregiver and opportunities to develop targeted interventions.