Understanding the Effect of Caregiving to Children and Adults on Older Adults’ Perceived Quality of Life in Uganda

Margaret Ralston , Mississippi State University
Joseph Mugisha, University of Missouri
Janet Seeley, MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
David Singleton, Mississippi State University

This paper explores the relationship between perceived quality of life, gender and among older adults in Uganda. Perceived quality of life is not only a concern in high-income countries but also in low income countries as older adults in these areas face a unique set of challenges that impact their ability to “age well.” A focus on perceived quality of life has the potential to highlight the positive impacts of caregiving may have on older adults’ lives. In a country impacted by HIV, social roles associated with caregiving to young children may differentially impact wellbeing compared to those associated with caregiving to adults. This paper will make use of cross-sectional and unique longitudinal data collected by the Medical Research Council Uganda Research Unit on AIDS/Uganda Virus research Institute (UVRI). Our aim is to provide a more complex picture of how caregiving influences personal wellbeing in later life.

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 Presented in Session 9. Marriage, Family, Households, & Unions; Gender, Race, & Ethnicity