Care Pressure Arising from Caring for Elderly Parents among Single Girls in Ilam

 Despite numerous studies in the field of home care, the role of unmarried girls in caring for their parents and the problems caused by this care for them, is still neglected or lost due to the study of other caregivers. In this regard, the present study aimed to investigate the care pressure resulting from the care of elderly parents among single girls in Ilam, Iran.

 This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019. The statistical population included all single girls over 30 years old in Ilam (n=5134 cases), and the sample size was determined at 370 people. The data were collected using a 24-item Novak & Guest Care Burden Questionnaire by cluster sampling. The obtained data were entered into SPSS statistical software (version 20) and analyzed at two levels of descriptive (median, mean, standard deviation, and frequency percentage distribution) and inferential statistics (analysis of variance).

 The findings indicated the existence of weak care pressure (26.91±21.13) among respondents. In comparison to the dimensions of care pressure, the time dimension (8.8±5.68) was more intense than other dimensions. Moreover, the girls who were government employees and had university degrees, in all respects, tolerated lower care pressures than their peers. The analysis of variance of the dependent variable considering the independent variables showed a significant difference in the care pressure of girls regarding age, employment status, education level, and mental class affiliation (P<0.001).

 Based on the results of the study, it is inferred that the low care pressure of the studied girls is due to the low pressure of care.