Inequities Among Cancer Caregivers with Diverse Identities: A Review of the Literature and Future Directions
Open accessAbstract
Purpose of review The number of older adults with cancer relying on support from caregivers continues to increase. Health disparities in older adults with cancer often extend to their caregivers. This review aims to assess the state of cancer caregiving research in historically underrepresented diverse populations and provide recommendations for future research and policy. Recent findings Research on caregivers of older adults with cancer from diverse backgrounds has primarily been descriptive. Health disparities for historically underrepresented caregivers (LGBTQ + , BIPOC, rural, young adults, youth) exist across several dimensions (e.g., financial, mental, and physical health, and access to caregiver support). Few published studies have closely examined the unique experiences of these caregivers nor provided culturally appropriate tailored interventions. Health equity research within caregiving populations is in its infancy. Priorities for future work should focus on identifying modifiable targets for intervention, changing systems-level processes in acknowledging and supporting caregivers, and creating policies that reduce financial inequities of caregiving.
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A significant gap exists in understanding what same-sex partners undergo.
“a significant gap exists in understanding what same-sex partners undergo”
From Exploring the Unmet Needs of Cancer Caregivers in India: A Cross-Sectional Survey (2024) · cites this paper as [22]
Same-sex partners' coping mechanisms are the same as heterosexual couples, especially in a conservative society like India.
“Their coping mechanisms are the same, especially in a more conservative society like India [22].”
From Exploring the Unmet Needs of Cancer Caregivers in India: A Cross-Sectional Survey (2024) · cites this paper as [22]
The Introduction’s LGBTQ+ community section says caregivers perform similar caregiving tasks, but it does not compare same-sex and heterosexual couples’ coping mechanisms. Searches for coping mechanisms and India found no passage addressing whether those mechanisms are the same, particularly in India. (LLM, conf=0.76)
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- Authors
- Tan, K. R., Waters, A. R., Chen, Q., Hendricks, B. A., Coombs, L. A., & Kent, E. E.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- University of Nebraska Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Tan, Kelly R.
- Venue
- Current Oncology Reports
- Published
- 2023-04-12
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 803-812
- ISSN
- 1523-3790 (ISSN-L)
- 1534-6269
- PMC
- PMC10091341
- OpenAlex
- W4365135167
- Cited by
- 40
- References
- 62
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 2
- FWCI
- 2.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Current Oncology Reports (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion)
- UNC Libraries
- Funders
- National Cancer Institute (T32CA116339)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Nursing care and research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
- Keywords
- cancer caregiving, health equity, elderly cancer patients, rural caregivers, young adult caregivers, caregiver financial burden, caregiver mental health, culturally tailored interventions
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Aged, Humans, Neoplasms, Caregivers
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