[Corrections made on 22 March 2022, after first online publication: The authors' first names and last names were interchanged. This has been corrected in this version.]

Funding information: Klesia; Crédit Agricole Assurance; Malakoff Humanis; University Paris Descartes

Read the full text

About

PDF

Tools

Share a link

Email
Wechat
Bluesky

Abstract

Background

Young carers (YC) and young adult carers (YAC) have become of interest in research and practice. The 18-item Multidimensional Assessment of Caring Activities for Young Carers (MACA-YC18) was developed for identifying the extent and nature of caring activities across six domains: domestic chores, household management, financial/practical help, personal care, emotional care, and sibling care. The aim of this research was to investigate the psychometric properties of the French version of the MACA-YC18.

Methods

Two quantitative studies were conducted in a general population among adolescents and young adults. The sample was composed of 2688 adolescents (M_age = 16.08; SD_age = 0.98; 60.60% girls) in Study 1 and 1192 young adults (M_age = 20.52; SD_age = 1.89; 78.27% girls) in Study 2. The psychometric properties were examined via construct validity through internal consistencies, confirmatory factorial analysis, and invariance measurement regarding: gender (girls vs. boys), having a sick/disabled relative (having vs. not), relative's type of illness/disability (physical illness vs. mental illness vs. other illnesses/disabilities), providing support to a sick/disabled relative (providing vs. not), and living arrangement (with family vs. not).

Results

In both studies, internal consistencies were in line with those reported in the literature, the 6-factor structure was confirmed, and strict invariances were highlighted.

Conclusions

Results show that the French version of the MACA-YC18 has good psychometric properties regarding construct validity not only among adolescents but also among young adults. This instrument appears to be a relevant screening tool for identifying and characterizing young carers in the general population.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Open Research

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The dataset generated or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

REFERENCES

Aldridge, S., & Becker, S. (1993). Children who care: Inside the world of young carers. Department of Social Sciences, Loughborough University.
Google Scholar
Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469–480. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469
10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469
CAS PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2018). Disability, ageing and carers. Australia summary findings. Australian Bureau of Statistics. https://www.abs.gov.au/methodologies/disability-ageing-and-carers-australia-summary- findings/2018
Google Scholar
Barthélémy, L., Thual, G., Kail, B., Ellien, F., & Coraboeuf, S. (2017). Qui sont les jeunes aidants aujourd'hui en France? Rapport d'étude. Novartis et Ipsos Public Affairs.
Google Scholar
Becker, F., & Becker, S. (2008a). Young adult carers in the UK: Experiences, needs and services for carers aged 16–24. The Princess Royal Trust for Carers. http://static.carers.org/files/yac20report-final-241008-3787.pdf
Google Scholar
Becker, S. (2000). Young carers. In M. Davies (Ed.), The Blackwell encyclopaedia of social work. Blackwells.
Google Scholar
Becker, S. (2007). Global perspectives on children's unpaid caregiving in the family: Research and policy on ‘young carers’ in the UK, Australia, the USA and sub-Saharan Africa. Global Social Policy, 7(1), 23–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468018107073892
10.1177/1468018107073892
Google Scholar
Becker, S., & Becker, F. (2008b). Services needs and delivery following the inset of caring amongst children and young adults: Evidenced based review. Commission for Rural Communities.
Google Scholar
Becker, S., & Sempik, J. (2019). Young adult carers: The impact of caring on health and education. Children & Society, 33(4), 377–386. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12310
10.1111/chso.12310
Web of Science® Google Scholar
Blanc, A. (2010). Les aidants familiaux. Presses universitaires de Grenoble.
Google Scholar
Boccaletti, L. (2016, February 10). Young informal carers in Italy: An overview. International conference: “Overcoming obstacles: (BME) Young carers in Europe”.
Google Scholar
Byrne, B. M., & van de Vijver, F. J. R. (2010). Testing for measurement and structural equivalence in large-scale cross-cultural studies: Addressing the issue of nonequivalence. International Journal of Testing, 10(2), 107–132. https://doi.org/10.1080/15305051003637306
10.1080/15305051003637306
Google Scholar
Chen, F. F. (2007). Sensitivity of goodness of fit indexes to lack of measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 14(3), 464–504. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705510701301834
10.1080/10705510701301834
Web of Science® Google Scholar
Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 9(2), 233–255. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5
10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5
Web of Science® Google Scholar
Dearden, C. & Becker, S. (2004). Young carers in the UK: The 2004 report. https://www.lboro.ac.uk/microsites/ socialsciences/ycrg/youngCarersDownload/YCReport2004%5b1%5d.pdf
Google Scholar
Dima, A. L. (2018). Scale validation in applied health research: Tutorial for a 6-step R-based psychometrics protocol. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 6(1), 136–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2018.1472602
10.1080/21642850.2018.1472602
PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
Greene, J., Cohen, D., Siskowski, C., & Toyinbo, P. (2017). The relationship between family caregiving and the mental health of emerging young adult caregivers. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 44(4), 551–563. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-016-9526-7
10.1007/s11414-016-9526-7
PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
Hooper, D., Coughlan, J., & Mullen, M. (2008). Structural equation modelling: Guidelines for determining model fit. The Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 6(1), 53–60.
Google Scholar
Hunt, G. G., Levine, C., & Naiditch, L. (2005). Young caregivers in the US: Findings from a national survey. National Alliance for Caregiving.
Google Scholar
Järkestig-Berggren, U., Bergman, A., Eriksson, M., & Priebe, G. (2019). Young carers in Sweden—A pilot study of care activities, view of caring, and psychological well-being. Child & Family Social Work, 24(2), 292–300. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12614
10.1111/cfs.12614
Web of Science® Google Scholar
Jarrige, E., Dorard, G., & Untas, A. (2020). Revue de la littérature sur les jeunes aidants: Qui sont-ils et comment les aider? Pratiques Psychologiques, 26(3), 215–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prps.2019.02.003
10.1016/j.prps.2019.02.003
Web of Science® Google Scholar
Joseph, S., Becker, F., & Becker, S. (2009). Manual for measures of caring activities and outcomes for children and young people. Princess Royal Trust for Carers.
Google Scholar
Joseph, S., Becker, S., Becker, F., & Regel, S. (2009). Assessment of caring and its effects in young people: Development of the Multidimensional Assessment of Caring Activities Checklist (MACA-YC18) and the Positive and Negative Outcomes of Caring Questionnaire (PANOC-YC20) for young carers. Child: Care, Health and Development, 35(4), 510–520. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2009.00959.x
10.1111/j.1365-2214.2009.00959.x
CAS PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
Joseph, S., Kendall, C., Toher, D., Sempik, J., Holland, J., & Becker, S. (2019). Young carers in England: Findings from the 2018 BBC survey on the prevalence and nature of caring among young people. Child: Care, Health and Development, 45(4), 606–612. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12674
10.1111/cch.12674
PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
Kallander, E. K., Weimand, B., Ruud, T., Becker, S., Van Roy, B., & Hanssen-Bauer, K. (2018). Outcomes for children who care for a parent with a severe illness or substance abuse. Child & Youth Services, 39(4), 228–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/0145935X.2018.1491302
10.1080/0145935X.2018.1491302
Web of Science® Google Scholar
Kallander, E. K., Weimand, B. M., Becker, S., Van Roy, B., Hanssen-Bauer, K., Stavnes, K., Faugli, A., Kufås, E., & Ruud, T. (2018). Children with ill parents: Extent and nature of caring activities. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 32(2), 793–804. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12510
10.1111/scs.12510
PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
Kavanaugh, M. S. (2014). Children and adolescents providing care to a parent with Huntington's disease: Disease symptoms, caregiving tasks and young carer well-being. Child & Youth Care Forum, 43(6), 675–690. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-014-9258-x
10.1007/s10566-014-9258-x
Web of Science® Google Scholar
Landi, G., Boccolini, G., Giovagnoli, S., Pakenham, K. I., Grandi, S., & Tossani, E. (2020). Validation of the Italian Young Carer of Parents Inventory-Revised (YCOPI-R). Disability and Rehabilitation, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1780478
10.1080/09638288.2020.1780478
Web of Science® Google Scholar
Leu, A., Frech, M., Wepf, H., Sempik, J., Joseph, S., Helbling, L., Moser, U., Becker, S., & Jung, C. (2019). Counting young carers in Switzerland—A study of prevalence. Children & Society, 33(1), 53–67. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12296
10.1111/chso.12296
Web of Science® Google Scholar
Macmillan, R. (2006). Constructing adulthood: Agency and subjectivity in the transition to adulthood. Advances in Life Course Research, 11, 3–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1040-2608(06)11001-1
10.1016/S1040-2608(06)11001-1
Google Scholar
Mechling, B. M. (2015). A cross-sectional survey of the effect on emerging adults living with a depressed parent: Growing up with a depressed parent. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 22(8), 570–578. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.12244
10.1111/jpm.12244
CAS PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
Metzing, S., Ostermann, T., Robens, S., & Galatsch, M. (2020). The prevalence of young carers—A standardised survey amongst school students (KiFam-study). Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 34(2), 501–513. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12754
10.1111/scs.12754
PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
Milfont, T. L., & Fischer, R. (2010). Testing measurement invariance across groups: Applications in cross-cultural research. International Journal of Psychological Research, 3(1), 111–130. https://doi.org/10.21500/20112084.857
10.21500/20112084.857
Google Scholar
Nagl-Cupal, M., Daniel, M., Koller, M. M., & Mayer, H. (2014). Prevalence and effects of caregiving on children. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 70(10), 2314–2325. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12388
10.1111/jan.12388
CAS PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
Newman, T. (2002). “Young carers” and disabled parents: Time for a change of direction? Disability & Society, 17(6), 613–625. https://doi.org/10.1080/0968759022000010407
10.1080/0968759022000010407
Web of Science® Google Scholar
Pakenham, K. I., Bursnall, S., Chiu, J., Cannon, T., & Okochi, M. (2006). The psychosocial impact of caregiving on young people who have a parent with an illness or disability: Comparisons between young caregivers and noncaregivers. Rehabilitation Psychology, 51(2), 113–126. https://doi.org/10.1037/0090-5550.51.2.113
10.1037/0090-5550.51.2.113
Web of Science® Google Scholar
Rose, H. D., & Cohen, K. (2010). The experiences of young carers: A meta-synthesis of qualitative findings. Journal of Youth Studies, 13(4), 473–487. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261003801739
10.1080/13676261003801739
Web of Science® Google Scholar
Sempik, J., & Becker, S. (2014). Young adult careers at college and university. Carers Trust.
Google Scholar
Streiner, D. L. (2003). Starting at the beginning: An introduction to coefficient alpha and internal consistency. Journal of Personality Assessment, 80, 99–103. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327752JPA8001_18
10.1207/S15327752JPA8001_18
PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
Untas, A., Jarrige, E., Vioulac, C., & Dorard, G. (2022). Prevalence and characteristics of adolescent young carers in France: The challenge of identification. Journal of Advanced Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15162
10.1111/jan.15162
PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
van de Schoot, R., Lugtig, P., & Hox, J. (2012). A checklist for testing measurement invariance. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 9(4), 486–492. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2012.686740
10.1080/17405629.2012.686740
Web of Science® Google Scholar
Warren, J. (2005). Carers: How the lives of young carers differ from those of young non-carers and how their efforts sometimes go unsupported. Research Matters, 19, 5–10.
Google Scholar
Warren, J., & Ruskin, A. (2008). Young carers: Still ‘hidden’ after all these years? Research, Policy and Planning, 26(1), 45–56.
Google Scholar

Citing Literature

Volume48, Issue5

September 2022

Pages 788-799

Assessing caring activities in French adolescents and young adults: Relevance of the Multidimension Assessment of Caring Activities for Young Carers (MACA-YC18)

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Open Research

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

REFERENCES

Citing Literature

References

Information

About Wiley Online Library

Help & Support

Opportunities

Connect with Wiley

Assessing caring activities in French adolescents and young adults: Relevance of the Multidimension Assessment of Caring Activities for Young Carers (MACA-YC18)

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Open Research

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

REFERENCES

Citing Literature

References

Related

Information