Effects of Care Burdens of Caregivers of Cancer Patients on their Quality of Life

Abstract

In this study, the aim was to examine the effects of caring burdens of family caregivers of cancer patients on their quality of life in the east of Turkey. Data were collected at the Chemotherapy unit of Yakutiye Research Hospital of Ataturk University. Participants were 18 years old and older. The sample included 190 family caregivers who were living in the same flats with the patients during caregiving. Data were collected using a questionnaire that included socio-demographic questions for family caregivers and the Burden Interview, and the Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer (CQOLC) Scale. SPSS version 14.0 was used to analyse the data. Descriptive statistics were computed for demographic variables of family caregivers. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the care burden and quality of life, linear logistic regression analysis was applied to determine the effect care burdens have on the quality of life, and logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the effect descriptive characteristics and care-related properties have on the quality of life. The score mean of the burden interview of caregivers was 36.6±11.2; and their score mean of CQOLC was 81.4±17.3. This study concluded that there was a negative relationship between caring burdens and the quality of life (p<0.001); descriptive characteristics, caring-related properties, and caring burden variables were all significant predictors of the quality of life. It is recommended that caregivers are given support by being offered training about providing care.

Caregiver Burden and Perceived Social Support among Caregivers of Patients with Cancer

“…In similar studies, care burden score means were found as follows: 21.29±12.00 in mothers providing care for children with cancer of their own (Ozdemir at al., 2009); 28.70±16.14 in caregivers of patients receiving three and higher number of chemotherapies; 21.75±9.66 in caregivers of patients receiving less than three chemotherapies (Oksuz et al, 2013) and similarly 36.65±11.21 in caregivers of patients with cancer (Turkoglu and Kilic 2012). Caregiver burden results obtained from our study showed similar findings to the research conducted by Turkoglu, Kilic & Oksuz et al to detect burdens of caregiving to patients receiving more than three cures of chemotherapy.…”

Symptom Frequency of Children with Cancer and Parent Quality of Life in Turkey

“…It is discovered in further analysis that there is a difference between the point averages of the group that has low symptom frequency and the group that has high symptom frequency (p=0.019), and that there is not a difference between the point averages of the group that has low symptom frequency and the one that has medium frequency (p=0.452) and of the group that has medium symptom frequency and the one that has high frequency (p=0.104). When the litterateur is studied, it is found that the parents of cancer children have impairment in their daily order, conflict about their social roles and tension in their marital and domestic relationships (Bergkvist and Wengstrom, 2006;Hassett, 2010;Bevans ve Sternberg, 2012;Gaugler et al, 2012;Lambert et al, 2012;Turkoglu and Kilic, 2012). The reason for the difference between the point averages of social anxiety condition sub-dimension of the parents of the children, who have medium and high symptom frequency and who have low and medium symptom frequency, is thought be resulting from the fact that the parents, who give care for cancer child, perceive the situation as they should leave their own health, needs and social life aside and should concentrate their all energy on the treatment of their children (Lambert et al, 2012;Turkoglu, 2012).…”

“…In the further analysis, it is found that there is difference between the point averages of the group that has low symptom frequency and the group that has medium frequency (p=0.000), and the group that has low and the group that has high frequency (p=0.000); and that there is not difference between the point averages of the group that has medium and high symptom frequency (p=0.162). When the litterateur is examined, it is determined that as the disease is diagnosed and treatment is started with the cancer child, the disease event enters into family members' live, impairs their daily order, restricts their daily activities, impairs their health condition, disrupts the physical and emotional balances of the child and family, prevents them from having satisfaction from the life and decreases their life quality (Bergkvist and Wengstrom, 2006;Hassett, 2010;Bevans and Sternberg, 2012;Gaugler et al, 2012;Lambert et al, 2012;Turkoglu and Kilic, 2012). In this study, it is determined that the life quality significantly decreases as the symptom frequency increases and that this is in parallel with the litterateur.…”

“…in paediatric oncology patients, disease event enters in the life of family members, impairs their daily order, causes conflict about their social roles, results in tension in domestic relations, restricts their daily activities, impairs their health and causes economic loss for them, impairs the child's and family's physical, emotional and economic balances, prevents them from being satisfied of life and reduces their life quality (Bergkvist and Wengstrom, 2006;Hassett, 2010;Bevans and Sternberg, 2012;Gaugler et al, 2012;Lambert et al, 2012;Turkoglu and Kilic, 2012).…”

Effect of Phone Interviews and Anger Management Training Provided to Caregivers of the Patients with Breast Cancer in Turkey

“…Caregivers in the intervention group decresed interest in over protectiveness compared to control caregivers. Our previous intervention research has shown decresed in ver protectiveness [28][29][30], even when delivered through a primary care setting ( Table 1).…”