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Relationship between caring burden and quality of life in caregivers of cancer patients in Iran

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Abstract

Purpose

Cancer is associated with social, economic, and emotional consequences. Cancer caregivers would face high caring burden predisposing them to stress, depression, and decreased quality of life. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the quality of life and caring burden among cancer patients’ caregivers in Iran.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was performed on 154 caregivers for cancer patients referred to Imam Hossein Hospital of Shahroud city. Accessible sampling method was used to recruit the participants in this study. Data collection tools included a form for recording demographic characteristics, the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire, and the Novak & Guest caring burden inventory. The data was collected by self-reporting and was then analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (multivariate linear regression analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient).

Results

The mean age of the caregivers was 41.30 ± 13.12 years old. The participants’ average scores of caring burden and quality of life were 55.85 ± 20.33 (range between 24 and 120, moderate score of 48 to 71) and 59.79 ± 19.65, respectively. There was a significant reduction in the caregivers’ quality of life with increasing of the care burden. Moreover, married caregivers have better quality of life and along with increasing of their income, their quality of life decreases.

Conclusion

Cancer patients’ caregivers are prone to burden of care which affects their quality of life. Therefore, it is recommended to reduce the caring burden and improve the quality of life of the caregivers by providing appropriate mental, psychological, and social supports.

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Acknowledgments

The present study was a result of a research project approved by the research deputy of Shahroud University of Medical Sciences under the code of 96105. We thank the participants, the deputy of Research and Technology and the Student Research Committee of Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, the authorities of the Imam Hossein hospital, and the staffs of chemotherapy unit of the hospital due to their kind contributions to the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran

    Ali Abbasi

  2. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran

    Seyedmohammad Mirhosseini

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Hasan Basirinezhad

  4. Department of Nursing, Randomized Controlled Trial Research Center, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, 7th Sq. Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran

    Hossein Ebrahimi

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  1. Ali Abbasi
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  2. Seyedmohammad Mirhosseini
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  4. Hossein Ebrahimi
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Correspondence to Hossein Ebrahimi.

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Abbasi, A., Mirhosseini, S., Basirinezhad, M.H. et al. Relationship between caring burden and quality of life in caregivers of cancer patients in Iran. Support Care Cancer 28, 4123–4129 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-05240-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-05240-y

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