Examining Gender Differences in Self-Care Engagement Among Ostomy Patients and Their Caregivers

Purpose: The aims of this study was to describe ostomy patients' engagement in self-care and caregiver contribution to this care, compare engagement levels in these behaviors between patients and their caregivers, and examine gender disparities in self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care. Design: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional analysis of data collected from a previous study. Subjects and setting: The sample comprised 523 participants living with an ostomy and 252 caregivers. Patients and caregiver dyads were recruited from 2 regions in Italy, (Latium and Lombard). Methods: Patient self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care were collected using the Ostomy Self-Care Index and the Caregiver Contribution to Ostomy Self-Care Index, respectively. Statistical analysis involved independent sample's t tests and Mann-Whitney U test when comparisons were explored across gender, whereas paired sample's t test and Wilcoxon signed rank were used to compare the behaviors across dyad members. In addition, invariance of OSCI and CC-OSCI subscales was measured to understand whether the total scores of each scale could be comparable across gender and patient-caregiver dyads. Results: Analysis of the Ostomy Self-Care Index and Caregiver Contribution to Ostomy Self-Care Index revealed adequate self-care maintenance but inadequate self-care management and confidence for both patients and caregivers. Comparisons within dyads indicated that caregivers scored significantly lower than patients on specific self-care monitoring items. Comparisons across gender revealed that men scored lower than women on specific self-care items while no significant differences were found in the caregiving behaviors. Conclusions: Implications for clinical practice include the need for tailored support strategies and a collaborative approach among patients, caregivers, and health care providers.