# Health of unpaid carers in Wales, UK: a population data linkage study

## TL;DR

This study creates a database of unpaid carers in Wales and finds they face higher health risks than non-carers, especially younger and deprived groups.

## Contribution

The study introduces the first electronic cohort of unpaid carers in Wales using linked health data to assess their health risks.

## Key findings

- Unpaid carers in Wales were found to have a higher risk of 35 out of 37 long-term health conditions compared to non-carers.
- Multimorbidity was more prevalent among unpaid carers, particularly in younger age groups and deprived communities.
- The creation of an e-cohort allows for future rapid analysis of unpaid carers' health needs and evaluation of support initiatives.

## Abstract

The population of unpaid carers in Wales increased to record. There is no systematic approach to record unpaid caring status, resulting in limited quantitative evidence on unpaid carers’ health. The aim of this study is to: (i) create an e-cohort of unpaid carers by linking routinely collected health and administrative datasets in Wales, UK. (ii) investigate whether long-term health conditions and multimorbidity are more prevalent amongst unpaid carers than non-carers.

Unpaid carers were identified by linking primary care dataset, National Survey for Wales data with demographic characteristics in the Secure Anonymise Information Linkage Databank. The clinical codes identified in Cambridge Multimorbidity Score were used to explore the prevalence of long-term health conditions.

A total of 91 220 unpaid carers in Wales were identified between 1 January 2010 and 1 March 2022. Unpaid carers were found at higher risk of managing 35 of 37 long-term health conditions and multimorbidity than non-carers, exacerbated amongst younger age groups and deprived communities.

The creation of the first e-cohort of unpaid carers in Wales provides opportunities to perform rapid analysis to systematically understand health needs and evaluate initiatives in future. To better support unpaid carers, flexible approaches focusing on early identification and prevention is crucial.