Using the Survey of Income and Program Participation to Compare the Physical Health of Non-Caregivers to Caregivers of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

In this chapter, we use the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), a national longitudinal dataset, to compare the physical health of caregivers of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to those who are not caregivers of individuals with IDD. The vast majority of individuals with IDD live with their families. Family members (usually parents) of individuals with IDD fulfill the majority of caregiving roles. With the aging of the population, the importance of caregiving over the lifespan assumes greater prominence in both practice and policy. If the health of the caregiver declines, so may their caregiving abilities and, relatedly, the quality of life for the individual with IDD and our capacity to support them outside of the long-term care system.To date, however, we have little research comparing the physical health of non-caregivers and caregivers of individuals with IDD. Using the SIPP, we compare caregiver and non-caregiver health through the use of national estimates of American households with and without a member with an IDD. Caregiving was imputed indirectly by focusing on the health status of the head of the household and spouse or partner. Findings illustrate large and consistent disparity in self-reported health between the household heads of families with and without a member with IDD. We end by discussing implications for policy and research.