Contributors to Gender Disparities in Parkinson’s Disease Caregiving

Background: Women with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are less likely to have a caregiver. Objective: To determine factors contributing to gender disparities in PD caregiving. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of people with PD and caregivers participating in the Parkinson’s Foundation Parkinson’s Outcomes Project and compared patient and caregiver characteristics by gender. Results: Among PD patients, 20.7% of 1663 women and 14.2% of 3005 men had no caregiver (P < 0.001). Women without caregivers were older (69.1 vs 66.3, P < 0.001), less likely to be married (30.4% vs 54.7%, P < 0.001), and more likely to be taking an antidepressant (41.8% vs 30.9%, P = 0.002) than men. Using stepwise logistic regression models, gender differences in access to caregiving were explained by marital status. Among caregivers, women reported more strain (P < 0.001) and had less time for other family members (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Fewer women with PD have caregivers because they are less likely to have a spouse.