# Sibling Relations in the Context of Dementia Parental Care: Implications for Health and Well-Being

> **NIH NIH K01** · IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $124,127

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
My long-term goal is to extend my research agenda regarding later-life families and well-being by incorporating
innovative observational and biomarker methodologies and to develop effective family-based intervention
strategies. The proposed project will provide me with training in three new areas which are critical to extend my
previous training. These skills include the collection and analysis of (1) observations of family members’
interactions, (2) stress, stress-protective and immune biomarkers and (3) the translation of basic research into
family-based interventions. This will allow me to examine the links between family processes and biological
mechanisms that influence health and well-being outcomes. This project also provides foundational knowledge
which I can apply to future family-based caregiving interventions. The proposed project will highlight the role of
family relations in caregivers’ physical health and psychological well-being by considering the network in which
caregivers are embedded. This project has three aims: (1) Determine whether perceptions of parental care
preferences and perceptions of equity in the division of care influence sibling interaction strategies and identify
the implications of sibling interaction strategies on sibling relationship quality, (2) identify changes in stress and
stress-protective biomarkers in response to sibling interactions and (3) identify the implications of sibling
relationship quality during ADRD caregiving for cumulative biological health indicators, psychological well-being
and physical health. The proposed project extends this previous work by employing an innovative combination
of survey, observational and biomarker data collected from two adult children in 100 families; and will be the first
study to combine these three types of data to study sibling relationships in the context of caregiving. This study
is novel in its approach by employing observational coding of the interaction strategies adult siblings use when
discussing their parents’ past and future care needs; and also assessing the physiological reactions to these
interactions by measuring stress (i.e. cortisol) and stress-protective biomarkers (i.e. dehydroepiandrosterone or
DHEA). Further, I will consider the consequences of sibling relationship quality on cumulative stress, stress-
protective and immune (i.e. secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 1-beta (IL-
1β) and herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV)) biomarkers. The findings from this study will fill a knowledge gap regarding
the health vulnerability of adult children during a stressful life event. Insights from this study can help to shape
future prevention and intervention efforts aimed at improving sibling interaction strategies and the overall health
and well-being of adult children caring for older parents with ADRD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9984229
- **Project number:** 5K01AG061260-02
- **Recipient organization:** IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Megan Gilligan
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $124,127
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9984229

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9984229, Sibling Relations in the Context of Dementia Parental Care: Implications for Health and Well-Being (5K01AG061260-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9984229. Licensed CC0.

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