The stress of a cancer diagnosis has adverse effects on the family caregiver's daily diet and subsequent immune health. Such relation may be exacerbated by limited resources, such as income. Less known is the extent to which daily diet and income relate to immune health of family caregivers of adult cancer patients. This study investigates the association of diet with inflammatory biomarkers and the moderating effects of poverty among cancer caregivers concurrently and prospectively.
Participants reported consuming at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables 3 days a week and fat 4-5 times a week. One-fifth of the sample met the criterion for poverty. IL-6 and IL-10 levels at T1 and T2 were comparable with those reported in other caregiver studies, and changes in levels from T1 to T2 were not significant. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that higher FatC at T1 was associated with lower IL-10 at T1 (B = -.149, p = .017) and increased IL-6 from T1 to T2 (B = .302, p = .026). Higher FVC at T1 was associated with increased IL-10 from T1 to T2 (B = .146, p < .001). These diet effects were independent of those of poverty level of income.
Findings indicate that dietary habits, regardless of income, uniquely contributes to caregiver's inflammatory biomarkers. Evidence suggests that high fat diets have both concurrent and prospective deleterious effects on caregiver's immune health, whereas diets consisting of high fruits and vegetables have lasting protective effects.
