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Table 2 Association between demographic and caring role characteristics and not being employed for mental health carers

From: Employment disadvantage and associated factors for informal carers of adults with mental illness: are they like other disability carers?

Carer characteristic

Female carers (n = 268)

Male carers (n = 238)

% not employed

(95% CI)

AOR (95% CI)

p

% not employed

(95% CI)

AOR (95% CI)

p

Age group

ns

 

 15–34 years

64.7 (46.5–79.4)

1.00

 

36.5 (23.0–52.4)

 

 35–54 years

40.7 (31.1–51.1)

0.31 (0.11–0.86)

.03

24.0 (16.1–34.2)

 55–64 years

65.9 (50.1–79.0)

0.74 (0.24–2.34)

.61

38.2 (26.0–52.0)

Highest level of educationa

ns

 Post-secondary degree/certificate

36.6 (27.8–46.4)

1.00

 

23.4 (16.4–32.4)

 

 Senior secondary school (Year 11 or 12)

67.9 (53.3–79.7)

3.09 (1.41–6.74)

.005

34.9 (21.6–51.0)

 Junior secondary school (Year 10) or less

74.1 (61.9–83.4)

3.86 (1.59–9.39)

.004

48.9 (33.8–64.2)

Carer’s own disability status

 No disability

40.3 (30.6–50.9)

1.00

 

24.7 (16.6–35.0)

1.00

 

 Has a disability

68.0 (58.5–76.1)

3.60 (1.68–7.69)

.001

48.6 (32.6–64.9)

3.64 (1.07–12.39)

.04

Cares for their spouse/partner or adult child

 

ns

  

 Cares for another relative/friend only

65.9 (48.9–79.7)

  

49.3 (34.7–64.0)

1.00

 Cares for their partner/child

49.7 (41.4–57.9)

 

24.7 (18.7–31.9)

0.38 (0.13–1.12)

.08

Care recipient disability level

 Moderate or less limitation in core activities

42.1 (33.4–51.4)

1.00

 

16.2 (8.5–28.6)

1.00

 

 Profound or severe limitation in core activities

64.1 (52.5–74.2)

2.13 (1.02–4.43)

.04

44.5 (34.0–55.5)

4.21 (1.45–12.25)

.009

Care recipient(s) receipt of any formal services

 

ns

 

 Does not receive services

55.3 (42.7–67.3)

  

44.3 (33.0–56.1)

1.00

 

 Receives services

51.7 (41.7–61.6)

22.8 (15.9–31.4)

0.34 (0.18–0.65)

.001

  1. AOR: adjusted odds ratio; CI: confidence interval; ns: factor was not significantly related to employment at p > .10 and was not included in final model
  2. a In Australia, Year 12 is the final year of secondary schooling, generally complete at age 17 or 18
  3. Notes: p-values in bold are significant at p < .05. The following factors were not significantly related to employment status and were removed from the final regression models: (1) for female mental health carers: marital status, rurality, country of birth, primary carer status, number of recipients of care, caring for their partner/child, and care recipient receipt of formal services; (2) for male mental health carers: age group, marital status, rurality, country of birth, education level, primary carer status, and number of recipients of care