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Daily Stressors and Inflammation Among Family Dementia Caregivers

Gouin, Jean-Philippe
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1301672951

Abstract Details

2011, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Psychology.
Acute laboratory stressors elicit elevations in circulating inflammatory biomarkers. Chronic stressors, such as family dementia caregiving, promote a state of chronic low-grade inflammation. The recurrent daily stressors associated with chronic stress may lead to repeated and sustained activation the inflammatory system. The goals of the present study were to evaluate whether greater exposure and reactivity to daily stressors fueled increased inflammation among family dementia caregivers, compared to noncaregiving controls. This cross-sectional study included 78 family dementia caregivers and 105 noncaregiving controls. A semi-structured interview, the Daily Inventory of Stressful Events, assessed the occurrence of daily stressors in the past 24 hours; self-report questionnaires evaluated mood, health, and health behaviors; a blood sample provided data on two inflammatory markers, C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Results showed that caregivers were more likely to experience multiple stressors in the past 24 hours than noncaregiving controls. The occurrence of multiple daily stressors was associated with greater CRP, and exposure to multiple daily stressors mediated the relationship between parental caregiving and increased CRP. Statin use moderated the relationship between daily stressors and IL-6 production; daily stressors were related to IL-6, but only among participants not using statins. Furthermore, among participants not using statins, the chronic stress of caregiving amplified IL-6, but not CRP, responses to daily stressors. The associations between daily stressors and inflammation remained significant even after adjusting for differences in health and health behaviors. These results indicate that the cumulative effect of daily stressors promotes sustained elevations in inflammation. Greater exposure to daily stressors among family dementia caregivers may promote the chronic low-grade inflammation and the enhanced health risk observed in this chronically-stressed population.
Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD (Advisor)
Michael Vasey, PhD (Committee Chair)
Charles Emery, PhD (Committee Chair)
202 p.
Psychology
Chronic stress; inflammation; interleukin-6; c-reactive protein; caregiving; daily stressors

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Gouin, J.-P. (2011). Daily Stressors and Inflammation Among Family Dementia Caregivers [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1301672951

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Gouin, Jean-Philippe. Daily Stressors and Inflammation Among Family Dementia Caregivers. 2011. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1301672951.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Gouin, Jean-Philippe. "Daily Stressors and Inflammation Among Family Dementia Caregivers." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1301672951

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1301672951
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© 2011, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.