Interactions between caregiving and sex and the antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination

Abstract

Objective Antibody response to vaccination is a powerful paradigm for studying the effects of chronic stress on immune function. In the present study, we used this paradigm to examine the interaction between caregiving (as a type of chronic stress) and sex on the antibody response to a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccination; recent research has called for examination of sex differences on health outcomes among family caregivers. A three-way interaction between caregiving, sex and psychological distress was also examined. Methods COVID-19 antibody data was extracted from 165 caregivers (98 females) and 386 non-caregivers (244 females) from the UK’s Understanding Society COVID-19 study. Relevant socio-demographics, health and lifestyle, and distress variables were gathered as potential covariates. Results In a 2 x 2 ANOVA we found the interaction between caregiving and sex was significant; male caregivers had a lower antibody response to the vaccine compared to female caregivers F (1,547), =24.82, p < .001, η2 = .043. Following adjustment, male caregivers had the lowest antibody response relative to all other groups. The three-way interaction model, controlling for covariates was also significant, R2 = .013, p = .049; the conditional effects for the three-way interaction revealed that male caregivers, compared to the other groups had a lower antibody response at both low and medium levels of psychological distress. Conclusion This study found evidence of a three-way interaction between caregiving, sex and distress on antibody response. Male caregivers had poorer antibody response to a single shot of the COVID-19 vaccination than female caregivers and male and female non-caregivers and this was evident at low and medium levels of distress. Our findings will be discussed in relation to the caregiver-and sex interactions during the pandemic.