ABSTRACT
Purpose: Informal caregivers constitute a vulnerable population group that has forsaken their activities and life projects with the sole purpose of caring for a dependent individual without receiving any form of compensation in return. Emotionally, this population has been neglected by both the state and family members, exacerbating distress levels among them. The objective is to analyze the impact of emotional coping strategies on the experiences of distress and emotional burden among adult informal caregivers tending to hospitalized individuals. Sample and Methods: The role of emotional coping strategies in caregiver burden and psychological distress was examined in 460 informal adult caregivers from Guayaquil, Ecuador, who participated in an online survey. The instruments used included the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS 21), the Zarit Burden Inventory (ZBI), and the Emotional Coping Questionnaire (Cuestionario de Afrontamiento Emocional). The analysis involved a multiple regression to iteratively select variables, aiming to build a simpler and more explanatory model. Results: Employing multiple regression analysis with a stepwise model selection procedure, it was found that 16.5% of the variance in depression, 19.5% of the variance in anxiety, 19.8% of the variance in stress, and 32% of the variance in burden were predicted by specific coping strategies. Additionally, the impact of burden was estimated by the participants' gender, with greater burden observed among males due to societal role expectations. Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of emotional coping in the experience of informal caregivers and suggests that psychological interventions should focus on developing adaptive strategies to manage the stress and emotional burden associated with caregiving.
ABSTRACT
Parental feeding practices can be crucial to preventing childhood obesity. This study aimed to validate a self-applicable instrument for evaluating the diverse parental feeding behaviors of Mexican caregivers based on the theoretical constructs of coercive control, structure, and autonomy support. The scale's content validity achieved significant values when assessed by expert judges, with moderate intensity in congruence (Kendall's W = 0.462; p = 0.000) and clarity (Kendall's W = 0.369; p = 0.001). The participants were 1185 Mexican adults (32.7 ± 7.6 years of age, 97% women, and 90% mothers) responsible for the main meal of at least one child (4.8 ± 3 years old). The data were subdivided randomly for an exploratory factor analysis (n = 581) and a confirmatory factorial analysis (n = 604). The first analysis grouped the items into 11 factors, with an accumulated variance of 63.9%. In the confirmatory analysis, a 10-factor model showed a better fit (CMIN = 1531.5, p < 0.001, CMIN/df = 2.20, RSEA = 0.045, CFI = 0.92, TLI, 0.91, and NFI = 0.87). The factors in this model were (1) the disposition of non-recommended foods, (2) nutritional education, (3) pressure to eat, (4) praise for healthy eating, (5) monitoring of consumption, (6) structured offer of fruits and vegetables, (7) consumption conditioning, (8) overt restriction, (9) guided choices, and (10) covert restriction. The Cronbach's alpha value was 0.816. Therefore, this scale presents good psychometric properties with which to evaluate the frequency of child caregivers' feeding behaviors in the context of ten different feeding practices in Mexico's urban areas and contributes to the knowledge of current practices in the Mexican population. It also evaluates changes resulting from future interventions that promote eating practices that favor the formation of healthy eating habits.
