National and state-level variations in caregiving for persons living with dementia in the US

Purpose: The objective of this study was to examine variations between dementia caregivers, caregivers of people without dementia, and non-caregivers across a range of sociodemographic and health variables nationally in 47 states and within five specific states representing a region of the U. S. (New York, Arizona, Minnesota, Idaho, Maine). Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study utilized 2021–2022 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Bivariate and cross-tabulation analyses were conducted to examine empirical variation. Results: Although national results remain fairly consistent with prior research on dementia caregivers, heterogeneity emerges when comparing national results with dementia caregiving data across the five selected states. Conclusion: The availability of local data resources on dementia caregiving could help to provide more accurate/relevant estimates of ADRD caregiving prevalence and better deliver home and community-based services where they are most needed.