The Protective Role of Light Physical Activity in the Association between Caregiving Burden and Loneliness Among Informal Caregivers

Background and Purpose

Loneliness is a public health concern with adverse effects on physical and mental health, especially among informal caregivers supporting individuals with chronic illnesses. Informal caregivers often experience high levels of caregiving burden due to time commitments, emotional stress, and reduced social participation, which may contribute to increased loneliness. Despite the well-known impact of physical activity in mitigating loneliness, existing literature has largely focused on moderate to vigorous intensity activities to align with the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. However, these intensity levels may not be feasible for caregivers with multiple responsibilities and limited time. This highlights the need for further research to investigate whether light physical activity can buffer the negative consequences of caregiving burden on loneliness. Therefore, this study examines the association between caregiving hours and loneliness among informal caregivers, and how different levels of physical activity moderate the relationship.

Methods

Data from the 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used. The sample included 2,648 caregivers who completed the caregiving modules. Loneliness was dichotomized as lonely (1) and not lonely (0). Caregiving burden was defined as high if caregivers provided >20 hours of care per week. Physical activity was categorized as sedentary, light activity, moderate activity, and vigorous activity. Covariates included sociodemographic (age, gender, marital status, race/ethnicity, education, and household income), health status (chronic comorbidities, stress level), and caregiving duration (greater than or less than 6 months). Logistic regression was conducted, with caregiving burden as the exposure, loneliness as the outcome, and physical activity level as the moderator.

Results

We found that 38.9% of the participants experienced loneliness. Logistic regression models showed that caregivers with high caregiving burden had significantly higher odds of loneliness compared to those with low burden (OR=1.96, p <0.011). While moderate or vigorous physical activity did not significantly moderate the relationship at alpha 0.05, light physical activity was found to be a significant moderator (OR=0.52, p <0.05). Specifically, among caregivers with high caregiving burden, those who engaged in light physical activity reported a lower risk of loneliness compared to those who were sedentary. In contrast, no significant difference in loneliness was observed between sedentary caregivers and those who engaged in moderate or vigorous physical activity.

Conclusions and Implications

Findings highlight the importance of light physical activity such as walking, gardening, or housework in mitigating loneliness among caregivers. Caregivers of individuals with chronic illness, who already engage in physically demanding tasks such as household chores, personal care, and family duties, may face time and energy barriers to structured exercise. Additional moderate to vigorous physical activity could increase stress and burden. Therefore, light and low-impact movement may be more feasible for promoting their mental well-being. Community-based programs that encourage light movement could serve as an effective strategy to mitigate loneliness among this group. Future longitudinal studies need to explore the sustainability of light physical activity as an intervention and its impact on caregivers’ loneliness over time.