在宅介護が高齢介護者の循環器機能に及ぼす影響に関する検討（第1報）―女性介護者による介護行為に注目して

Cardiovascular Responses Relating to Stress on the Elderly Caregivers (Part 1)：Focused on Caregiving Act of Women Caregivers

要約

　在宅介護者に関する従来の報告には，介護者の疲労感や拘束感などの主観的な観点，あるいは介護者の健康問題の有無といった身体的な観点などについて検討したものがみられる．しかしながら，介護行為に伴う生理機能変化を直接測定，評価した研究は殆どみられず，介護による身体負荷の実態は未だ明らかにされていない．本研究は，高齢女性介護者による介護行為に伴う身体負荷の実態を把握する目的で，臨床生理学的な検査方法を用い循環器機能について評価，検討した．

　その結果，女性高齢者の行う介護行為は運動負荷の強度としては中等度の範囲に位置づけられるが，介護のタイプや精神的要因等の影響を受け，単純な運動強度で評価される以上の負荷がかかっていることが明らかとなった．また，一部の高齢介護者にとって，介護行為は個人の循環器能力を超える負荷となっていた．従って，過剰な負荷を負っている介護者は，今後心疾患の発作や慢性疾患の増悪といった健康問題を発症する可能性を有していることが示された．

Abstract

　Previous research about family caregiver has reported that caregivers have complex physiological, psychological and social problems. However, there is enough not research that measures and evaluates the physiological responses of caregivers has been done, so the implications of these responses remain to be clarified.

　This research study focuses on the cardiovascular responses in relation to stress experienced by elderly women while performing acts of caregiving, through objective clinical physiological measurements, as well as the ramifications of this stress.

　The results were as follows: caregiving at home by the aged is categorized as a middle degree load of exercise. However, caregivers had higher stress than that caused by the intensity of simple exercises due to the influence of physical and social factors of caregiving. Moreover, some of the elderly caregivers were obliged to take on a higher degree of cardiovascular stress while providing caregiving, than their physical capability allowed.

　This study indicates that some of the elderly caregivers have a risk of health problems arising, such as cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases.