Stress-Busting Program for Family Caregivers: Validation of the Spanish version using biomarkers and quality-of-life measures.

Hispanic family caregivers of people with dementia experience higher levels of stress compared to non-Hispanic white caregivers. Long-term stress causes depression, caregiver burden, cellular aging, and dysregulation of the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of the Spanish version of the English Stress-Busting Program (SBP) for Family Caregivers by determining changes in quality-of-life measures and biomarkers. Thirty-six caregivers completed the SBP in the language of their choice (14 Spanish-speaking Hispanics [HS], 8 English-speaking Hispanics [HE], and 14 non-Hispanic English [NHE] speakers). Quality-of-life measures included the Perceived Stress Scale, the Screen for Caregiver Burden, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Assessment of oral health and immunity included salivary flow rate, pH, buffer capacity, total protein, and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA). Indicators of stress (salivary cortisol), inflammation (C-reactive protein), and cellular aging (leukocyte telomere length) were assessed. Following completion of the SBP, the Spanish-speaking group had less depression and caregiver burden along with improved oral health and reduced cellular aging. When comparing baseline values to post-intervention, all three groups showed significant improvement in subjective caregiver burden. When the data from all three groups were combined, biomarkers that showed improvement after nine weeks of SBP included the stress hormone cortisol, salivary pH, and leukocyte telomere length. The results indicate that the Spanish SBP reduces caregiver stress as assessed by quality-of-life indicators and biomarkers. The Spanish SBP can help to mitigate health disparities in Hispanic Spanish-speaking caregivers.

Cervical cancer screening and older Mexican American women.

The purpose of this study was to explore an older Mexican American woman's decision-making process to engage in cervical cancer screening. A qualitative single case study design was used along with a purposive, typical case sampling strategy. The participant, a 52-year-old Mexican American woman, was interviewed using a semi-structured format. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. The analytic process revealed three concepts and motivators that influenced the participant's behavior regarding cervical cancer screening practices: knowledge, family history, and sexual history. As such, these findings are useful for crafting subsequent investigations. Although the study participant's experience is instructive regarding facilitators or motivators for engaging in screening practices, further exploration of barriers faced by older Mexican American women who decline to be screened is warranted.