Caregivers provide support to persons who might otherwise require placement in long-term care facilities. Approximately one in five U.S. adults provides care to family members or friends who have a chronic health condition or disability. Promoting the well-being of this large segment of the population is a public health priority as recognized by the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers. Although negative associations between caregiving and caregiver health are known, changes in the health status of caregivers over time are not. Data from the 2015-2016 and 2021-2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were analyzed to compare changes in the prevalence of 19 health indicators among cross-sectional samples of caregivers and noncaregivers at different time points. Caregivers experienced improvements in prevalence of four health indicators, whereas six worsened. Some health indicators, such as cigarette smoking, improved for both caregivers and noncaregivers, although smoking prevalence remained higher for caregivers (16.6% versus 11.7%). Prevalence of lifetime depression increased for both groups and remained higher among caregivers (25.6%) than among noncaregivers (18.6%). During 2021-2022, age-adjusted estimates for caregivers were unfavorable for 13 of the 19 health indicators when compared with noncaregivers. Strategies for supporting caregivers are available, and integrating these with existing programs to address mental health and chronic diseases among this population might improve caregiver well-being. For example, many community organizations support caregivers by offering interventions designed to relieve caregiver strain, including skills training, support groups, and care coordination.

中文翻译：

---

护理人员健康指标的变化 - 美国，2015-2016 年至 2021-2022 年。


护理人员为可能需要安置在长期护理机构的人员提供支持。大约五分之一的美国成年人为患有慢性健康问题或残疾的家人或朋友提供护理。正如《2022 年支持家庭护理人员国家战略》所确认的，促进这一大部分人口的福祉是一项公共卫生优先事项。尽管护理与护理人员健康之间存在负相关关系是众所周知的，但护理人员健康状况随时间的变化却鲜为人知。分析2015-2016年和2021-2022年行为危险因素监测系统的数据，比较不同时间点照顾者和非照顾者横截面样本中19项健康指标的患病率变化。护理人员的四项健康指标的患病率有所改善，而六项指标则恶化。尽管护理人员吸烟率仍然较高（16.6% 比 11.7%），但护理人员和非护理人员的一些健康指标（例如吸烟）均有所改善。两组的终生抑郁症患病率均有所上升，并且照护者 (25.6%) 的患病率仍高于非照护者 (18.6%)。 2021-2022 年期间，与非护理人员相比，护理人员的 19 项健康指标中有 13 项经年龄调整后的估计结果不利。支持护理人员的策略是可用的，并将这些策略与现有计划相结合以解决该人群的心理健康和慢性病问题可能会改善护理人员的福祉。例如，许多社区组织通过提供旨在缓解护理人员压力的干预措施来支持护理人员，包括技能培训、支持小组和护理协调。