Issues of race, ethnicity, and culture in caregiving research: a 20-year review (1980-2000)

Abstract

Purpose: The goals of this review are to synthesize what is known about caregiving among diverse groups and to identify gaps in knowledge to guide future research on caregiving. The review focuses on conceptual and theoretical approaches, sampling strategies, measurement techniques, and similarities and differences found among groups and across studies.

Design and methods: A narrative approach was used to review 59 articles published between 1980 and 2000, with particular attention to race, ethnicity, and/or culture. Primary sources of relevant articles included electronic databases, other review articles, and reference lists.

Results: Caregiving experiences and outcomes varied across racial and ethnic groups. However, the use of nontheoretical approaches, nonprobability samples, and inconsistent measures among studies has limited understanding of caregiving among diverse populations.

Implications: It is important that conceptualization and theorizing broaden with increasing numbers of studies that include diverse groups. Future caregiving research needs to give more attention to such issues as acculturation, assimilation, and cultural values, beliefs, and norms, while also improving theoretical and methodological rigor.