These tables present data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a telephone-based survey of U.S. residents aged 18 and over, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey collects information on health behaviors, chronic conditions, and preventive practices from 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories using a core set of questions (administered to all) plus optional modules. The data for family caregiving is not part of the core question set, but is currently an optional module that states can choose to add to the core set. The BRFSS is a repeated cross-sectional survey and does not employ a longitudinal design (i.e., the same participants are not interviewed each year).
Detailed information and documentation on the BRFSS, including accessing the data for analyses, can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/index.html.
- 2015 – 2017 caregiver cohort
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Our analyses focused on the BRFSS surveys that included the caregiver module collected from 2015 to 2017. Caregivers in the tables were defined as those who responded “yes” to the question “Did you provide regular care or support for a friend or family member with a health problem or disability during the past 30 days?” (the screener question for the caregiver module). Thus data are presented for current caregivers at the time of data collection.
While the caregiver module can be used to study caregiving at the state level, our goal for these tables was to approximate a national sample by combining data across states. The caregiver module was administered in 24 states in 2015 (when first offered), 21 states and territories in 2016, and 12 states in 2017. We combined data from 44 non-overlapping states and the District of Columbia from 2015 to 2017 (using data from the year first administered) to approximate a national cohort, which contained 54,076 total caregivers. All cases were weighted using the BRFSS state-level weights.
- 2021 caregiver cohort
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Using the same definition of caregiver as above, we again created an approximate national sample by combing data across states. The caregiver module was administered in 39 states in 2021, and we combined data across these states to approximate a national cohort, which contained 47,466 total caregivers. All cases were weighted using the BRFSS state-level weights.
Tables for the 2015-17 and 2021 cohorts present the same information so users can examine cross-sectional trends over time.
Caregivers are described in terms of age; sex; race; education; household income; employment status; presence of children (< 18) in household; and living situation (alone vs. with others).
Caregivers are described in terms of relationship of care recipient to caregiver; duration of caregiving; hours per week spent caregiving; care recipient main condition requiring care; type of care provided (personal; household, both); and CR cognitive status (impaired vs. not; 2021 only; added in 2019)
Caregivers are compared to non-caregivers (n = 199,004 in 2015-17; n = 180,986 in 2021) on a variety of health outcomes collected in the BRFSS core question section.
Male and female caregivers are compared on all health outcomes .
Caregivers age 18-29; 30-44; 45-64; and 65 and older are compared on all health outcomes.
White non-Hispanic; Black non-Hispanic; other non-Hispanic; and Hispanic caregivers are compared on all health outcomes.
Caregivers with high school or less; some college; and a Bachelors degree or higher are compared on all health outcomes.
Caregivers with household income of less than 25K; 25-50K; 50-75K; and 75K or more are compared on all health outcomes.
Currently employed caregivers and caregivers not currently employed are compared on all health outcomes.
Caregivers living in households with and without children under age 18 are compared on all health outcomes.
Caregivers living alone and those living with others are compared on all health outcomes.
Caregivers caring for a parent; spouse; child; other relative; and non-relatives are compared on all health outcomes.
Caregivers who have cared for the care recipient less than 6 months; 6 months – 2 years; 2 – 5 years; and 5 years or more are compared on all health outcomes.
Caregivers providing 8 hours / week or less; 9 – 19 hrs. / week; 20 – 39 hrs. / week; and 40 or more hours per week of care are compared on all health outcomes.
Caregivers providing care to care recipients with arthritis; asthma; cancer; Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementia; diabetes; heart disease; developmental disability; and mental illness are compared on all health outcomes.
Caregivers providing personal care (ADL) only; household care (IADL) only; and both personal and household care are compared on all health outcomes.
Caregivers reporting no disability are compared to caregivers reporting at least one of the six sub-types of disability (see above) are compared on all health outcomes (except disability).
Caregivers of care recipients with and without cognitive impairment are compared on all health outcomes. (2021 only; caregiver module question added in 2019).