Taking Care of Themselves: Cannabis Use Among Informal Care Partners of Older Adults

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Background: Cannabis use among older persons has been increasing relative to younger populations, and persons over 50 years old are more likely to use cannabis for age-related therapeutic purposes. We suspected that spouses, adult children, and other older informal care partners (ICPs) of older adults are using cannabis as a form of self-care to address physical and/or mental health needs. Objectives: We described ICPs over 50 years old who used cannabis in the past year, contrasted them with those who did not, and determined if cannabis use was associated with health care service use. Research Design and Methods: We obtained 2019 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) public use files and linked base survey responses with caregiving and cannabis questions answered by 9,984 Californians aged 50 and over. We used survey data to measure background characteristics, health behaviors, physical health status, psychological status, caregiving characteristics, and cannabis use. We differentiated among older ICPs using logistic and multivariate regression models. Results: We identified a total of 2,802 (28.1%) CHIS respondents over 50 who provided care to an older adult. ICPs were more likely to have used cannabis in the past year compared with noncaregivers (odds ratio [OR] 1.4; confidence interval [CI]: 1.2, 1.7). When compared with those ICPs who did not use, we did not observe differences in self-reported physical distress but found cannabis users were more likely to report being diagnosed with asthma (OR 2.0; CI: 1.2, 3.2) and diabetes (OR 1.80; CI: 1.1, 3.0). ICPs who used cannabis also were more likely to report feeling nervous (OR 2.1; CI: 1.3, 3.8). ICPs who provided care to someone with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia (ADRD) were more likely to use cannabis (OR 1.50; CI: 1.1, 2.0). Discussion: Nearly one out of every three older Californians including those who serve as ICPs used cannabis in the past year. We found older ICPs were more likely to use than non-ICPs, especially if they were providing care to someone with ADRD. Given the demand currently placed on spouses and adult children over 50 years old to assume care for an older adult in need, further research should determine if cannabis serves as a benefit or harm.

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