Depressive symptoms and self-rated health in community-dwelling older adults: a longitudinal study

OBJECTIVES: To test whether baseline depressive symptoms in older adults increase the risk of subsequent decline in self-rated health and decrease the likelihood of subsequent improvement in self-rated health. DESIGN: A 2-year prospective cohort study. SETTING: Six thousand seven hundred fourteen community-dwelling older persons who completed the first and second wave of the Asset and Health Dynamics among the Oldest-Old Survey in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling older people in the United States. MEASUREMENTS: Baseline depressive symptoms were measured using a short-form of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Self-rated health was measured using a single item of global health rating. RESULTS: After adjustment for covariates, a high burden of depressive symptoms at baseline was predictive of greater decline in self-rated health (odds ratio (OR) for decline in those with high burden of depressive symptoms vs those without = 1.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.26-1.70). Likewise, high burden of depressive symptoms at baseline predicted less improvement in self-rated health (OR for improvement in those with high burden of depressive symptoms vs those without = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.50-0.65). CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptomatology is an independent risk factor for subsequent changes in self-rated health in older adults. Thus, early prevention and intervention of depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults might be critical to promote and maintain their self-rated health.     

Association between physical activity and cognition in Mexican and Korean older adults

IntroductionAs the world's population ages, the prevalence of cognitive impairment associated with age increases. This increase is particularly pronounced in Asia and South-America. The objective of this study was to investigate separately the longitudinal association of physical activity and cognitive function in; older adults in Mexico and South Korea.Materials and MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of two surveys, The Mexican Health and aging Study (MHAS) (n = 5853) and Korean Longitudinal Study of aging (KLoSA) (n = 5188), designed to study the aging process of older adults living in Mexico and South Korea. Participants older than 50 years were selected from rural and urban areas achieving a representative sample. Physical activity was assessed using self-report. Cognition was assessed using Cross-Cultural Cognitive Examination (CCCE) and Minimental state examination (MMSE) in Mexico and South Korea respectively. Here we investigate the longitudinal association between physical activity and cognition during 3 years for MHAS and 4 years for KLoSA using multiple linear regression analyses.ResultsThe prevalence of physical activity was 40.68 % in MHAS and 35.57 % in KLoSA. In the adjusted longitudinal multivariate analysis, an independent association was found between physical activity and MMSE score OR 0.0866 (CI 0.0266-0.1467 p-value 0.0047) in the Korean older adults, while there was no significant association in MHAS.ConclusionsPhysical activity could have a protective effect on the cognitive decline associated with aging in the Korean population.     

Neighborhood effects on the self-rated health of elders: uncovering the relative importance of structural and service-related neighborhood environments

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the independent relationship between neighborhood context (characterized through age structure, economic conditions, service provision, and residential stability) and self-reported health among elders in one U.S. city. METHODS: By using multilevel statistical models, we examined the cross-sectional relationships between markers of neighborhood environment (derived from the 1980 U.S. Census and the Yellow Pages of the 1985 New Haven, Connecticut, telephone book) and self-rated health among elders. We used survey data from the 1985 New Haven Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly, which comprised 1,926 elders nested within 28 census tracts. RESULTS: When controlled for individual age, gender, race, marital status, education, and income, neighborhood measures of percent poverty were positively associated with poor self-rated health (odds ratio [OR] = 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02-1.17), whereas residential stability (OR = 0.90; 95% CI = 0.84-0.96) and concentration of elders (OR = 0.82; 95% CI = 0.72-0.94) were inversely associated with poor self-rated health. Neighborhood service density was not associated with self-rated health. DISCUSSION: We found support for the role of neighborhood structural context (reflected through measures of poverty, residential stability, and age-based demographic concentration) in predicting the health of elders. Density of neighborhood services did not appear to have an independent effect on the self-rated health of elders.     

Factors influencing attitudes toward advance directives in Korean older adults

AimWe aimed to determine the factors influencing attitudes toward advance directives in Korean older adults with consideration of an Asian cultural background.MethodsWe recruited community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or older at a regional senior welfare center in Korea. Demographic factors and mental and physical health status were examined using questionnaires and a physical examination. The questionnaire also assessed perceived necessity of advance directives and related experiences.ResultsMost participants (79.32%) agreed that advance directives were necessary. Older adults with high education levels (odds ratio [OR] 2.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84–6.34), low economic status (OR 2.09, 95% C.I. 0.60–7.27), and poor cognitive function (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.10, 95% CI 0.89–4.97) had a greater odds of agreeing that advance directives are necessary. All participants with self-care problems (9/9) and most participants with at risk status of physical functioning (13/14) reported agreement. Death-related experiences were also associated. Notably, individuals who had discussions on end-of-life care with family members showed a greater odds of agreeing that advance directives are necessary (aOR 2.12, 95% CI 0.88–5.11).ConclusionsThe factors associated with increased agreement that advance directives are necessary were high education level, low economic status, poor cognitive function, problems in self-care, poor physical functioning, death-related experiences. Especially, discussions of end-of-life care with family members increased the agreement. Thus, discussion on end-of-life care should be encouraged and the factors influencing older adults’ attitudes toward advance directives should be considered in developing policies for such discussion.     

Black-white disparities in functional decline in older persons: the role of cognitive function

BACKGROUND: Black elders have a greater frequency of functional decline than do white elders. The impact of cognitive function on explaining black-white disparities in functional decline has not been extensively explored. METHODS: To compare the extent to which different risk domains (comorbidity, smoking, socioeconomic status (SES), self-rated health, and cognitive function) explain more frequent functional decline in black elders, we studied 779 black and 4892 white community-dwelling adults aged 70 and older from the Assets and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD), a population-based cohort study begun in 1993. Our primary outcome was worse functional status at 2 years than at baseline. We used logistic regression to compare the unadjusted with the adjusted black-white odds ratios (ORs) after adjusting for each risk domain. RESULTS: At baseline black participants aged 70-79 had higher rates of smoking, diabetes, and hypertension; lower SES; and worse cognitive function than did white participants (p <.05 for all). The mean cognitive score was 15.7 in black and 21.8 in white participants (p <.01). Black participants had a higher frequency of 2-year functional decline than did white participants (10.9% vs 4.7%; OR = 2.61, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69-4.03 adjusted for age and sex). Adjustment for comorbidity and smoking did not significantly change the black-white OR, whereas self-rated health and SES accounted for about half the risk. Adjustment for cognitive function accounted for nearly all the associated decline (OR = 1.10, 95% CI, 0.67-1.79). Among participants aged 80 and over, those who were black had significantly lower risk for functional decline after adjustment for cognitive function (OR = 0.61, 95% CI, 0.38-0.96 vs OR = 1.08, 95% CI, 0.70-1.66 adjusted for age and sex only). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive function mediated the higher frequency of functional decline among black elders. Efforts to understand cognitive function may enhance our understanding of black-white disparities in health outcomes.     

Religion, spirituality, and health in medically ill hospitalized older patients

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of religion and spirituality on social support, psychological functioning, and physical health in medically ill hospitalized older adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Duke University Medical Center. PARTICIPANTS: A research nurse interviewed 838 consecutively admitted patients aged 50 and older to a general medical service. MEASUREMENTS: Measures of religion included organizational religious activity (ORA), nonorganizational religious activity, intrinsic religiosity (IR), self-rated religiousness, and observer-rated religiousness (ORR). Measures of spirituality were self-rated spirituality, observer-rated spirituality (ORS), and daily spiritual experiences. Social support, depressive symptoms, cognitive status, cooperativeness, and physical health (self-rated and observer-rated) were the dependent variables. Regression models controlled for age, sex, race, and education. RESULTS: Religiousness and spirituality consistently predicted greater social support, fewer depressive symptoms, better cognitive function, and greater cooperativeness (P<.01 to P<.0001). Relationships with physical health were weaker, although similar in direction. ORA predicted better physical functioning and observer-rated health and less-severe illness. IR tended to be associated with better physical functioning, and ORR and ORS with less-severe illness and less medical comorbidity (all P<.05). Patients categorizing themselves as neither spiritual nor religious tended to have worse self-rated and observer-rated health and greater medical comorbidity. In contrast, religious television or radio was associated with worse physical functioning and greater medical comorbidity. CONCLUSION: Religious activities, attitudes, and spiritual experiences are prevalent in older hospitalized patients and are associated with greater social support, better psychological health, and to some extent, better physical health. Awareness of these relationships may improve health care.     

Racial segregation and health disparities between Black and White older adults

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we examined whether racial segregation is associated with poorer self-rated health among older adults, and whether racial segregation helps explain race disparities in self-rated health between Black and White older adults. METHODS: We used multilevel data at the individual, neighborhood (tract), and county levels, from two national surveys-the Americans' Changing Lives (ACL) survey and the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH). We used hierarchical linear models in order to regress self-rated health on county-, neighborhood-, and individual-level racial and socioeconomic variables. RESULTS: In the NSFH, there was an association between county racial segregation and poorer self-rated health among White but not Black older adults (net of county percent Black and percent poverty). In the ACL, there was no statistically significant association between racial segregation and self-rated health. In the NSFH, there was some indication that Black older adults had better self-rated health when living in neighborhoods with a higher percentage of Black residents than the county percentage. DISCUSSION: Although aggregate-level studies demonstrate associations between racial segregation and mortality rates, our multilevel analyses with two national data sets suggest only weak associations between racial segregation and self-rated health. However, socioeconomic status at multiple levels contributes to race disparities in health.     

Association of urgency symptoms with self-rated health, mood and functioning in an older population

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) with comorbidities are common in old age. The aim here was to investigate the associations of urgency symptoms with self-rated health, mood and functioning in a random older population adjusted for comorbid conditions. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional survey was made involving 343 people (159 men and 184 women) aged 70 years and over. LUTS were categorized as symptoms with or without urgency. Perceived inconvenience from LUTS, self-rated health, mood, social activity and activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and mobility disability were the outcome measures. Ageand gender-adjusted and multivariate logistic regression models were constructed in order to examine the associations of urgency and non-urgency symptoms with the outcomes. The covariates were age, gender, and self-reported cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, neurological and other chronic diseases. RESULTS: Perceived inconvenience from urgency symptoms was more frequent than that from non-urgency symptoms (64% vs 20%, p<0.001). In the age- and gender-adjusted logistic regression models, LUTS with urgency were associated with poor self-rated health (OR [odds ratio] 2.35; 95% CI [confidence interval] 1.06-5.20), depressive mood (OR 7.29; 95% CI 2.91-18.30), ADL (OR 2.33; 95% CI 1.10-4.92), IADL (OR 2.16; 95% CI 1.19-3.92) and mobility disability (OR 2.44; 95% CI 1.37-4.36). LUTS without urgency were associated with depressive mood (OR 5.02; 95% CI 1.97-12.82) and mobility disability (OR 1.97; 95% CI 1.10-3.53). In the multivariate analyses in which comorbid conditions were added to the model, the associations of non-urgency and urgency symptoms persisted only with depressive mood (OR 4.00; 95% CI 1.52-10.53 and OR 6.16; 95% CI 2.39-15.84, respectively). CONCLUSION: Urgency symptoms are associated with poor self-rated health, depressive mood and disability in older people. There is an independent association between both urgency and non-urgency LUTS and depressive mood. A careful assessment of the mental state of older individuals with LUTS is warranted.     

Association of individual activities of daily living with self-rated health in older people

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the associations of 18 activities of daily living with self-rated health in older people. DESIGN AND SETTING: cross-sectional study of a representative sample of 781 people aged 65 or over (response rate: 89.9%). METHODS: self-rated health was assessed by the question: "Overall, how would you rate your current health status-very good, good, fair, poor or very poor?" We used the Barthel index and Lawton and Brody's index for basic and instrumental activities of daily living, respectively. We classified subjects into three groups according to their Barthel index score: level 1 (score 100), level 2 (score 91-99) and level 3 (score 0-90). Logistic regression was used to identify associations between each activity and self-rated health. RESULTS: use of stairs [odds ratio (OR) = 4.28, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 2.82-6.52], ambulation (OR = 3.67, 95% CI: 2.39-5.64) and chair/bed transfer (OR = 3.00, 95% CI: 1.68-5.36) were the basic activities of daily living best associated with self-rated health. Among instrumental activities of daily living, ability to handle finances (OR = 2.20), laundry (OR = 2.15) and transport (OR = 2.12) were associated with self-rated health. On the Barthel index, only transport was associated with self-rated health in subjects at levels 1 (OR = 2.55) and 2 (OR = 2.72). For subjects with poor functional status (level 3), no instrumental activities of daily living were related to self-rated health. CONCLUSION: in terms of self-rated health, the most important activities of daily living were those involving mobility. The effect of each instrumental activity of daily living on self-rated health depends on the level of functional capacity in basic activities of daily living.     

Health status indicators among community-dwelling elders with arthritis: the Bambuí health and aging study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of arthritis with health status indicators among elders living in Bambuí, Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1606 elders using baseline data from the Bambuí Health and Aging Study, a population based cohort study of older adults. Arthritis was self-reported and defined as a physician diagnosis of arthritis or rheumatism, and/or chronic hand and knee symptoms. Health status indicators, defined a priori as the main independent variables, were self-rated health, psychological distress (based on the General Health Questionnaire), report of sleep complaints, disability in activities of daily living (ADL), "2-week" disability, mobility disability, and 2 composite indexes of mental health problems and physical disability problems. Logistic regression compared health status indicators among elders reporting arthritis (N = 833) and non-arthritis subjects. RESULTS: After controlling for sociodemographics and chronic conditions, all measures were found to be associated with arthritis: sleep complaints (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.43-1.92), fair (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.62-2.90) and poor self-rated health (OR 3.48, 95% CI 2.46-4.94), ADL disability (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.02-2.87), mobility disability (OR 2.65, 95% CI 2.06-3.41), 2-week disability (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.35-2.57), 2 mental health problems (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.67-3.04), and one (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.91-3.16) and 2 physical disability problems (OR 4.19, 95% CI 2.02-8.59). CONCLUSION: Considering the paucity of similar studies addressing the impact of arthritis in developing nations, these findings may be applied to similar communities and support better planning of resource allocations to minimize the effects of arthritis among the elderly.     

A Lower Prevalence of Self-Reported Fear of Falling Is Associated with Memory Decline among Older Adults

Background: In spite of a number of reports about various factors associated with the fear of falling (FoF) among older adults (such as age and physical function), the relationship between FoF and cognitive decline remains unclear. Objective: To determine which cognitive function is related with the prevalence of FoF in older adults. Methods: Participants were 101 older adults (mean age 75.1 years; 48.5% males). Of these, 54 older adults (53.4%) were classified as the fear group on the basis of the presence of FoF. Age, gender, the Timed Up and Go test (TUG), fall history, the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale, the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised-Logical Memory I (WMS-LM I), the delayed memory test, digit symbol coding, digit span and verbal fluency were measured as potential relevant factors. Results: Logistic regression analysis revealed that TUG [odds ratio (OR) 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-1.83; p = 0.004], WMS-LM I (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.07-1.35; p = 0.002) and fall history (OR 4.38, 95% CI 1.53-12.51; p = 0.006) were independently associated with FoF. Conclusions: The results suggest that a lower prevalence of self-reported FoF is associated with memory decline among older adults. Insensitivity to FoF may be one of the characteristics of psychological change with memory decline.     

Individual's perspective of local community environment and health indicators in older adults

Aim: This study evaluated the relationship between individual's perspective of local community environment and health in older people. Methods: A survey about quality of life in older adults in Spain was applied to a representative sample of 1106 community‐dwelling people (mean age ± SD = 72.07 ± 7.83 years, 43.67% males). Local community (Community Wellbeing Index, neighborhood problems, time in the neighborhood), psychosocial and sociodemographic measures were considered. Four health outcomes (self‐perceived health status, functional independence, depression and number of chronic medical conditions) were studied. Multivariate logistic analyses were carried out. Results: At least two local community measures were independently associated with each health outcome. Satisfaction with community services significantly contributed to all models; it was positively related with self‐rated health and functional independence, and negatively associated with depression and chronic medical conditions. Conclusion: The individual's perspective of the local community environment was associated with health outcomes in older adults. This can be useful in the development of policies committed to promoting social integration and active aging in the community. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 130–138 .     

Healthy but unhappy? Cross-national comparative analysis of depressive symptoms in Japanese vs. Korean elders

BackgroundJapan and South Korea, two neighbouring countries in East Asia, enjoy the highest life expectancies in the world, yet suffer paradoxically from high suicide rates.AimWe sought to conduct a cross-national comparative analysis of depressive symptoms among older adults in Japan vs. Korea, focusing particularly on poverty and physical health status.MethodsWe used nationally representative samples aged 65 and over from the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions in Japan and the Korean Community Health Survey in South Korea. Multivariate logistic regression models were conducted to examine if equivalized household income, poor self-rated health, disability and comorbidity (number of diseases) were associated with depressive symptoms, adjusting for age, education, marital status, alcohol use, smoking and living alone.ResultsOlder Japanese adults with poor self-rated health and disability were more likely to report depressive symptoms, but income level was not significantly associated with mental distress. By contrast, among older Korean people, depressive symptoms were strongly patterned by household income level, as well as poor self-rated health, disability, and comorbidity.ConclusionPoor physical health status was correlated with depressive symptoms among both Japanese and Korean seniors. However, income level was associated with depressive symptoms among only Korean elders, but not Japanese. Thus, the current generation of older Japanese adults appears to enjoy (relative) financial security, longevity, and mental wellbeing. By contrast, older Koreans experience high levels of mental distress, especially if they are financially insecure.     

Self-reported health and driving cessation in community-dwelling older drivers

BACKGROUND: Stopping driving has significant negative consequences for older adults, but there is no simple, reliable screening tool to predict driving cessation. We sought to determine if self-rated health (SRH) was an independent predictor of driving cessation among older adults. METHODS: Data on SRH (poor, fair, good, very good, or excellent), medical diagnoses, physical performance, visual acuity, driving status, and other relevant covariates were collected from 649 community-dwelling older Alabama drivers during in-home interviews. Using multivariable logistic regression analyses, we estimated the association of SRH with driving cessation 2 years later. RESULTS: Participants had a mean age of 74 years; 43% were women, 41% African American, and 48% rural. Overall, 36% reported poor to fair SRH at baseline, and 11% had stopped driving after 2 years. Compared to 8% of drivers with good to excellent SRH, 17% with poor to fair health stopped driving (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-3.41; p=.025). Lower Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) scores (adjusted OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78-0.95; p=.001) and older age (adjusted OR, 1.06 per year; 95% CI, 1.01-1.11; p=.010) were also associated with driving cessation. Receiver operating characteristics curves documented similar predictive discrimination (c statistics) for SRH (0.72), the SPPB (0.70), and a count of comorbidities based on the Charlson Comorbidity Index (0.73). CONCLUSIONS: Poor to fair SRH predicted incident driving cessation after 2 years in a cohort of older adults. SRH can be easily obtained during clinic visits to identify at-risk drivers.     

Neighborhood deprivation, individual socioeconomic status, and cognitive function in older people: analyses from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between cognitive function, socioeconomic status, and neighborhood deprivation (lack of local resources of all types, financial and otherwise).
DESIGN: Nationally representative cross-section.
SETTING: The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).
PARTICIPANTS: Seven thousand one hundred twenty-six community-dwelling individuals aged 52 and older and resident in urban areas.
MEASUREMENTS: Individual cognitive function score and index of multiple deprivation (IMD) at the Super Output Area level, adjusting for health, lifestyle, and sociodemographic confounders. Analyses were conducted separately according to sex and age group (52–69 and ≥70).
RESULTS: IMD affected cognitive function independent of the effects of education and socioeconomic status. For example, in fully adjusted models, women aged 70 and older had a standardized cognitive function score ( z -score) that was 0.20 points (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.01–0.39) lower in the bottom 20% of wealth than the top 20%, 0.44 points (95% CI=0.20–0.69) lower in the least-educated group than in the most educated, and 0.31 points (95% CI 0.15–0.48) lower if resident lived in an area in the bottom 20% of IMD than in the top 20%.
CONCLUSION: In community-based older people in urban neighborhoods, neighborhood deprivation—living in a neighborhood with high levels of deprivation, compared with national levels—is associated with cognitive function independent of individual socioeconomic circumstances. The mechanisms underlying this relationship are unclear and warrant further investigation.     

The relationship between gender roles and self-rated health: A perspective from an international study

ObjectivesTo examine the relationship between gender roles and self-rated health in older men and women from different contexts.Methods2002 community-dwelling older adults from the International Mobility in Aging Study were recruited from 5 research sites. Gender role was measured with the 12-item Bem Sex Role Inventory, which categorized study participants into four gender roles: Masculine, Feminine, Androgynous, and Undifferentiated. Self-rated health was collapsed into a dichotomous variable (Very Good/Good and Fair/Poor/Very Poor). Prevalence risk ratios (PRR) of self-rated health relative to gender roles were estimated with Poisson regression models adjusted for all relevant confounders.ResultsAfter complete adjustment, feminine (PRR 1.22 (95 % CI 1.01–1.49)) and undifferentiated (PRR 1.25 (95 % CI 1.05–1.50)) gender roles were associated with poorer relative self-rated health.DiscussionGender roles confer independent risks and benefits for self-rated health in older adults.     

Motoric cognitive risk syndrome is associated with processing speed and executive function,but not delayed free recall memory: The Korean frailty and aging cohort study (KFACS)

BackgroundThe motoric cognitive risk (MCR) syndrome, characterized by slow gait and cognitive complaints, is a high risk for transitioning to dementia. However, little is known regarding the cognitive profile among individuals with MCR. This study was performed to examine the association of MCR with cognitive functional domains.MethodsWe analyzed 2881 community-dwelling older adults aged 70–84 years (52 % women, mean age: 75.9 years) from the nationwide Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. MCR was defined as the presence of subjective cognitive complaints and slow gait ≥ 1.0 standard deviations below age- and sex-specific means. Cognitive function was assessed using the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Packet and the Frontal Assessment Battery.ResultsA total of 231 participants met MCR criteria (prevalence = 8.02 %; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 7.07–9.08 %). The prevalence of MCR did not increase with advancing age: 70–74 years, 8.90 %; 75–79 years, 7.06 %; and 80–84 years, 8.04 %; moreover, there were no sex-related differences. After adjusting for various confounders, MCR was associated with decline in global cognitive function, attention, processing speed and executive function (all P < 0.05). In particular, MCR was significantly associated with impairments in processing speed (odds ratio [OR]: 1.89, 95 % CI: 1.16–3.07) and executive function (OR: 1.94, 95 % CI: 1.28–2.93) (P > 0.05).ConclusionsMCR was associated with deficits in global cognition, processing speed, and executive function, but not delayed free recall memory. Individuals with MCR had an increased risk of poor cognitive profile related to brain frontal and prefrontal function.     

Risk factors for potentially harmful informal caregiver behavior

OBJECTIVES: Caring for a sick or disabled relative has been linked to compromised caregiver health, and risk factors for negative caregiver outcomes have been studied extensively, but little attention has been given to care recipient and caregiver health as risk factors for potentially harmful behavior by informal caregivers. This article explores such risk factors. DESIGN: Structured interviews from baseline assessment of the Family Relationships in Late Life Study. SETTING: Three U.S. communities. PARTICIPANTS: Referred, volunteer sample of 265 caregiver/care recipient dyads. Caregivers were primarily responsible for care of an impaired, community-residing family member aged 60 and older and providing help with at least one activity of daily living (ADL) or two instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). MEASUREMENTS: Self-reported care recipient demographics, cognitive status, need for care, and self-rated health; self-reported caregiver demographics, cognitive status, amount of care provided, self-rated health, physical symptoms, and depression. Care recipient reports of potentially harmful caregiver behavior, including screaming and yelling, insulting or swearing, threatening to send to a nursing home, and withholding food, were the main outcome variable. RESULTS: The following were significant risk factors for potentially harmful caregiver behavior: greater care recipient ADL/IADL needs (odds ratio (OR)=1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.03-1.22), spouse caregivers (vs others; OR=8.00, 95% CI=1.71-37.47), greater caregiver cognitive impairment (OR=1.20, 95% CI=1.04-1.38), more caregiver physical symptoms (OR=1.07, 95% CI=1.01-1.13), and caregivers at risk for clinical depression (OR=3.47, 95% CI=1.58-7.62). CONCLUSION: Potentially harmful caregiver behavior is more likely in spouse caregiving situations and when care recipients have greater needs for care and caregivers are more cognitively impaired, have more physical symptoms, and are at risk for clinical depression. This risk profile is similar to that for negative caregiver outcomes.