Patterns of Elder Caregiving Among Nigerians: An Integrative Review

TL;DR

This paper reviews how elder caregiving in Nigeria is influenced by cultural, gender, and economic factors, and highlights the need for better support systems.

Contribution

It provides the first integrative, intersectional synthesis of elder caregiving in Nigeria, linking multiple factors to health inequities.

Findings

Family-based care is the primary response to elder care in Nigeria due to weak formal systems.

Cultural norms, gender roles, and migration affect caregiving arrangements and health outcomes.

Caregiver strain and unmet needs are linked to regional and socioeconomic disparities.

Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
Synthesizes evidence on elder caregiving within Nigeria’s rapidly aging population, highlighting how family-based care functions as a primary public health response in the absence of robust formal systems.Examines how cultural norms, migration, gender roles, and socioeconomic constraints shape care arrangements, access to services, and health outcomes for older adults in a low-resource context.

Synthesizes evidence on elder caregiving within Nigeria’s rapidly aging population, highlighting how family-based care functions as a primary public health response in the absence of robust formal systems.

Examines how cultural norms, migration, gender roles, and socioeconomic constraints shape care arrangements, access to services, and health outcomes for older adults in a low-resource context.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
Provides the first integrative, intersectional synthesis of elder caregiving in Nigeria, clarifying how cultural, familial, economic, psychosocial, and policy factors jointly determine health vulnerabilities and care inequities.Demonstrates how intersecting gendered, class-based, and regional disparities in caregiving contribute to unmet health and social needs, caregiver strain, and uneven access to geriatric and supportive services across the country.

Provides the first integrative, intersectional synthesis of elder caregiving in Nigeria, clarifying how cultural, familial, economic, psychosocial, and policy factors jointly determine health vulnerabilities and care inequities.

Demonstrates how intersecting gendered, class-based, and regional disparities in caregiving contribute to unmet health and social needs, caregiver strain, and uneven access to geriatric and supportive services across the country.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policymakers and/or researchers in public health?
Calls for evidence-informed interventions, including caregiver support programs, gender-sensitive policies, strengthened geriatric services, and community-based care models to address gaps in access, equity, and caregiver well-being.Identifies critical research and policy priorities, including intersectional and multilingual approaches, improved monitoring of caregiving outcomes, and expanded study of transnational elder care among Nigerian diaspora communities.

Calls for evidence-informed interventions, including caregiver support programs, gender-sensitive policies, strengthened geriatric services, and community-based care models to address gaps in access, equity, and caregiver well-being.

Identifies critical research and policy priorities, including intersectional and multilingual approaches, improved monitoring of caregiving outcomes, and expanded study of transnational elder care among Nigerian diaspora communities.

This integrative review on patterns of elder caregiving in Nigeria synthesizes evolving dynamics and determinants of caregiving practices amid demographic and household change. The objective of this review was to identify prevalent patterns of elder caregiving, explore the roles and responsibilities of caregivers, and examine the challenges and support needs within the Nigerian context. Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Medline were searched in November 2024. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed journal articles published in English focusing on elder caregiving among Nigerians; non-peer-reviewed sources (e.g., dissertations, conference papers, and books) were excluded. Data extraction was performed using a structured matrix, and findings were synthesized thematically. Risk of bias was appraised using SANRA (for narrative reviews) and MMAT (for empirical studies). Twenty studies published between 1991 and December 2022 were included. Analyses were guided by an intersectional conceptual framework spanning five domains: cultural, familial, economic, psychosocial, and policy. The interconnected dimensions illustrate how cultural expectations shape family caregiving roles, which in turn influence economic strain, emotional well-being, and access to institutional support. By emphasizing the interaction among gender, class, and social location within these domains, the framework demonstrates how caregiving operates as a multidimensional and relational process. Thematic synthesis identified six overarching themes: cultural influences, gender differences, family dynamics, economic factors, challenges faced by Nigerian caregivers, and government policies and support. Limitations include reliance on single-reviewer screening and extraction, exclusion of unpublished and non-peer-reviewed sources, restriction to English-language studies, and a focus on the Nigerian context, which may limit generalizability. Findings underscore that elder caregiving in Nigeria is multifaceted and shaped by intersecting gendered, cultural, and economic forces. Policy and practice should prioritize caregiver supports, accessible geriatric services, and gender-sensitive interventions, while future research applies the framework to address gaps in transnational and multilingual evidence.

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