Sun Young Rha1, Yeonhee Park2, Su Kyung Song3, Chung Eun Lee3, Jiyeon Lee4. 1. College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Medical Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Seoul, South Korea. 2. College of Nursing, Eulji University, Daejeon, South Korea. 3. Department of Medical Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Seoul, South Korea. 4. College of Nursing, Eulji University, Daejeon, South Korea. Electronic address: jiyeon.lee@eulji.ac.kr.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Family caregivers of cancer patients become responsible for many elements of cancer care, usually without preparation or training in provision of care. Their efforts of care generate caregiving burden, which could deteriorate caregivers' quality of life (QOL). METHOD: A secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted to describe the influence of caregiving burden on the QOL of family caregivers of cancer patients with consideration of correlates (N = 212). The Korean versions of Zarit Burden Interview and the World Health Organization QOL BREF were used. Multiple regression analyses were applied to analyze the relationship between the caregiving burden and QOL. RESULTS: Caregiving burden explained 30.3% of variance of the QOL (β = -0.534, p < 0.001). Caregivers caring for patients with functional deterioration experienced higher burden. Caregivers providing care for hospitalized patients demonstrated lower QOL. The caregiver's educational level was a positively contributing factor for the QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Caregiving burden was the influential, negatively affecting factor for the QOL. Assessment of caregiving burden with special attention being paid to caregivers caring for patients with functional decline would help to identify caregivers in need of support. Supportive care needs to be sought to alleviate caregiving burden and improve the QOL of caregivers, especially for the caregivers of hospitalized patients.
PURPOSE: Family caregivers of cancerpatients become responsible for many elements of cancer care, usually without preparation or training in provision of care. Their efforts of care generate caregiving burden, which could deteriorate caregivers' quality of life (QOL). METHOD: A secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted to describe the influence of caregiving burden on the QOL of family caregivers of cancerpatients with consideration of correlates (N = 212). The Korean versions of Zarit Burden Interview and the World Health Organization QOL BREF were used. Multiple regression analyses were applied to analyze the relationship between the caregiving burden and QOL. RESULTS: Caregiving burden explained 30.3% of variance of the QOL (β = -0.534, p < 0.001). Caregivers caring for patients with functional deterioration experienced higher burden. Caregivers providing care for hospitalized patients demonstrated lower QOL. The caregiver's educational level was a positively contributing factor for the QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Caregiving burden was the influential, negatively affecting factor for the QOL. Assessment of caregiving burden with special attention being paid to caregivers caring for patients with functional decline would help to identify caregivers in need of support. Supportive care needs to be sought to alleviate caregiving burden and improve the QOL of caregivers, especially for the caregivers of hospitalized patients.
Authors: Emily Hallgren; Theresa A Hastert; Leslie R Carnahan; Jan M Eberth; Scherezade K Mama; Karriem S Watson; Yamilé Molina Journal: J Health Soc Behav Date: 2020-02-01