Medicine & Health Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity

Health of Carers

Project Rationale

Research undertaken to understand the health status, health risks and health outcomes for carers in Central and Eastern Sydney, Australia (CES) who are 45 years or over.

Project Aim/s

  1. To identify the effect of carer status on the health status, health risks, health service use and mortality in people aged 45 years and over.
  2. To identify the effect of coping status on the health status, health risks, health service use and mortality in carers aged 45 years and over.

Project Design and Method

A record linkage study using data from the 45 and Up Study, Medicare Benefit Scheme claims, hospitalisations and deaths was undertaken on participants in CES (n=29,489). Characteristics of carers were described and outcomes over an eight-year period were also calculated.

Outcomes/Outputs

Around 12% of the cohort were carers at a given time, though most transitioned in and out of caring roles over a five-year period. Compared with non-carers, carers in CES had higher rates of: self-reported smoking, anxiety, psychological distress, heart disease, self-rated poor quality of life. Carers had higher rates of general practitioner use than non-carers [Adj. HR (95% CI): 1.21(1.13, 1.30)]. However, hospital admissions and mortality were not significantly different. Carers in CES who were coping well were 24% less likely to be high GP users [Adj. HR (95% CI): 0.76 (0.63, 0.94)] and mortality rates were 33% lower [Adj. HR (95% CI): 0.67 (0.51, 0.87)] than in carers who were not coping well in CES.
School

CPHCE (CES-P&CH Collaboration)

Research Area

Health System Integration and Primary Health Care Development

Harris-Roxas B, Kabir A, Kearns R, Webster G, Woodland L, Barr M

Reports

Journal articles

Harris-Roxas B, Kabir A, Kearns R, Webster G, Woodland L, Barr M. Characteristics and health service use of a longitudinal cohort of carers aged over 45 in Central and Eastern Sydney, Australia. Health & Social Care in the Community 2023

Conference presentations

  • 2021: Harris-Roxas B, Kabir A, Barr M. Understanding the caregiver role and challenges in Sydney, Australia: a population based linked cohort study of people aged 45 years and over. Poster at the Virtual NAPCRG Annual meeting. Nov 2021
  • 2021: Harris-Roxas B, Kabir A, Kearns R, Webster G, Woodland L, Barr M (2021) Understanding the carer role and challenges in Central and Eastern Sydney in Australia: a population based linked cohort study of people aged 45 years and over. Presented at the Virtual International Conference on Integrated Care. May 2021.
  • 2021: Harris-Roxas B, Kabir A, Kearns R, Webster G, Woodland L, Barr M. Understanding the carer role and challenges in Central and Eastern Sydney in Australia: a population based linked cohort study of people age 45 years and over. Presentation at the Virtual International Conference on Integrated Care, 1-3 Apr 2021.
  • Harris-Roxas B, Kabir A, Kearns R, Woodland L, Barr M, Characteristics and health service use of carers aged over 45 in Central and Eastern Sydney, Australia. Presented at the Australian Association for Academic Primary Care,Virtual Conference, 18-19 August 2022.
  • Harris-Roxas Ben, Barr M, Kabir A, Webster G, Woodland L. Understanding the carer role and challenges in Central and Eastern Sydney: a population based linked cohort study of people aged 45 years and over. Health Services Research Conference (HSRAANZ), 30 Nov-2 Dec 2022.
  • Barr M, Harris-Roxas B, Kabir A, Kearns R, Webster G, Woodland L. Characteristics and health service use of carers aged over 45 in Central and Eastern Sydney, Australia. Australasian Association for Academic Primary Care (AAAPC) Location Virtual; August 2022

Sydney Local Health District, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Central and Eastern Sydney.

Sydney Local Health District, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Central and Eastern Sydney.

Margo Barr Phone: 02 9065 6041

Email: margo.barr@unsw.edu.au