Caregiver Burden And QOL Of Spouse Caregivers Of Patients With Breast Cancer

Objective:To describe caregiver burden, QOL and experience of caregiving among the spousecaregivers of women with BC. To examine the correlation between burden and QOL andidentify their influence factors. Results were used to provide evidence to interventionresearch for QOL improving of caregiver.Methods:1. A cross-sectional study was conducted by convenient sampling method, composed of243spouse caregivers of breast cancer patients from three hospitals of Shannxi province.One questionnaire for spouses consisted of questions on demographic variables, ZBI, SF-36,SSRS and MAT. Another questionnaire for patients consisted of questions on demographicvariables and MDASI. The ZBI and SF-36were used to assess spouses’ burden and QOL.The data were typed-in by Epidata3.0and analyzed by software SPSS version17.0. 2. An exploratory qualitative descriptive design was also used in this study,20malespouse caregivers of women with BC were selected by purposive sampling. The data werecollected by semi-structured interview and analyzed by Colaizzi analysis method.Results：1. Results of quantitative research about caregiver burden and QOL(1) The burden of243spouse caregivers of women with breast cancer was in the mildlevel with a total ZBI score of33.99±14.28. The proportion of each burden level was: mild(16.9%), moderate (49.8%) and severe (33.3%). Caregiver burden was significantlyassociated with daily sleep time, subjective support, life stress events of spouses, familyincome, the symptom severity and cancer stage of patients.(2) The scores of all SF-36scales from243spouse caregivers were much lower thanthat of general mainland Chinese males. The score of physical QOL was68.75±17.58andmental QOL was65.09±22.14. Spouses physical QOL was more susceptible to their age,health problems, daily sleep time, family income, underaged children, life stress events andcare of other family members. While life stress events and daily sleep time of spouse, familyincome, care of other family member and patients symptom have significant impact onspouses mental QOL.(3) The relationship between caregiver burden and QOL is negative. Heavier burdenindicated lower QOL. Social support can moderate the relationship between caregiverburden and QOL.2. Results of qualitative research about experience of caregiving(1) The common feelings of male spouse caregivers were distress, uncertainty,helplessness, guilt and symptom distress.(2) Spouse caregivers were short of the knowledge and skills of caregiving, and lack ofprofessional support and emotional support.(3) Most of spouse caregivers were tend to take negative coping style for themselves,and positive coping style for their wives.Conclusion：1. Caregiver burden was prevalence in spouse caregivers of women with BC and theirQOL was impaired, especially mental health. They have experienced much negative feelings. Caregiver burden has a negative impact on QOL, social support can moderate therelationship between caregiver burden and QOL. Caregivers should be included in theservice range of hospitals, in order to improve caregivers QOL and marital quality.2. Caregiver burden and QOL of spouse caregivers of patients with BC were influencedby many factors. Nurses should integrate estimation about caregiver burden, QOL and socialsupport into nursing assessment procedures. Lazarus coping theory can be guided forintervention study. Interventions targeted at influence factors of caregiver burden and QOL,optimize the stress coping resources and coping styles of caregivers should be provided torelieve the spouse caregiver burden and promote their QOL.