Sociocultural Factors Influencing Caregiver Appraisals Following Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: To investigate the association of the sociocultural variables race/ethnicity, education, and poverty level to caregivers' positive and negative appraisals following traumatic brain injury.

Design: Survey. Setting: Community. Participants: Caregivers (N=344; 216 white; 69 black; 39 Hispanic) of persons with complicated mild to severe TBI at least 1-year postinjury. Intervention: Not applicable. Main outcome measures: Modified Caregiver Appraisal Scale (M-CAS); Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI).

Results: Black caregivers reported lower levels of perceived burden on both the M-CAS and the ZBI. Black and Hispanic caregivers reported more traditional caregiver ideology (caregiving as a responsibility) than did whites. Greater poverty was associated with higher burden on the M-CAS, lower caregiver satisfaction, and less mastery. Higher education was associated with higher burden on the ZBI and with lower caregiver mastery.

Conclusions: Treatment professionals should be culturally sensitive to the different perspectives that caregivers may have based on sociocultural factors. Sociocultural factors should be considered in research investigating caregiver outcomes, including appraisals.