Caregiving burden and heart rate variability: Differences by race/ethnicity and gender

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Project Summary/Abstract This application is a Diversity Supplement to parent grant R01 NR016817-01 (2016-2020), “Tailored health self-management interventions for highly distressed family caregivers” (J.A. Zauszniewski, PI). Two years of predoctoral research training and support is requested for an outstanding minority candidate, Ms. Elizabeth Williams, BSN, RN. Ms. Williams plans to study the relationships among caregiver characteristics (i.e. race/ethnicity and gender) and stress responses (psychological and physiological) in family caregivers of adults with bipolar disorder. The specific aims for the supplement project are to: 1) determine whether there are differences by caregiver characteristics (race/ethnicity and gender) on measures of psychological stress responses (self-reported involvement in care and caregiving burden); 2) determine whether there are differences by caregiver characteristics (race/ethnicity and gender) on measures of physiological stress responses (heart rate variability: time and frequency domains – eight indicators); 3) examine associations among all of the indicators of psychological and physiological stress responses; and 4) explore relationships among available indicators of the time and frequency domains of heart rate variability. Under the mentorship of Dr. Jaclene A. Zauszniewski and the other co-investigators of the parent grant, Ms. Williams will engage in a set of formal and informal research activities related to the understanding of health disparities and caregiver stress, with a specific interest in disentangling differences on psychological and physiological measures of stress responses, and particularly, the time and frequency domains of heart rate variability. Her study will concentrate on measures obtained at baseline on demographic characteristics, and psychological and physiological stress on all study participants (N=300), who are family caregivers of persons with bipolar disorder. This Diversity Supplement addresses research priorities of the NINR to develop a diverse cadre of nurse scientists to advance the science of caregiving and health disparities. Ms. Williams' involvement in the parent clinical trial will provide invaluable experiences for her as she progresses towards her goal of acquiring the necessary mentoring, substantive knowledge, and scientific training that will set her apart among her peers with unique knowledge and expertise in the areas of health disparities, caregiver stress, and heart rate variability.