Patient- and caregiver-related factors affecting family caregiver burden of urologic cancer patients

Li Ping Wong; Xiaonan Xu; Haridah Alias; Chuo Yew Ting; Hui Meng Tan; Yulan Lin

doi:10.1016/j.urolonc.2024.04.004

Patient- and caregiver-related factors affecting family caregiver burden of urologic cancer patients

Urol Oncol. 2024 Apr 25:S1078-1439(24)00420-4. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2024.04.004. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Li Ping Wong¹, Xiaonan Xu², Haridah Alias³, Chuo Yew Ting⁴, Hui Meng Tan⁵, Yulan Lin⁶

Affiliations

¹ Fujian Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350102, Fujian, China; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: wonglp@ummc.edu.my.
² Fujian Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350102, Fujian, China.
³ Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁴ Pharmaceutical Services Division, Sarawak State Health Department, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jalan Diplomatik, Off Jalan Bako, 93050, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
⁵ Urology Clinic, Ramsay Sime Darby Medical Centre, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: hmtanurology@gmail.com.
⁶ Fujian Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350102, Fujian, China. Electronic address: yulanlin@fjmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 38670816
DOI: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2024.04.004

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the level of family caregivers' (FC) burden and the extent to which patient- and caregiver-related factors influence the caregiving burden among FCs of urologic cancer (UC) patients.

Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on caregivers of UC patients who sought cancer care. The modified caregiver strain index (MCSI) was used to assess FC burden.

Results: Just over half (54.3%) of FCs had moderate/high MCSI scores (score 9-26). By demographics, FCs who were unemployed (OR = 5.55, 95%CI 1.50-20.60) and perceived their current health condition as moderate/poor (OR = 6.05, 95%CI 1.95-18.78) reported higher odds of increased FC burden. Patient performance status played a pivotal role in exacerbating FC burden, whereby the odds of higher FC burden was 13 times higher in caregivers of UC patients having an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance rating score of 3-4 (OR = 13.06, 95%CI 1.44-111.26) than those with a score of 0. Perceived lower levels of confidence in care provision were significantly associated with a higher level of strain (OR = 6.76, 985%CI 1.02-44.90).

Conclusion: Care recipient performance status was a strong patient-related factor associated with higher FC burden regardless of duration of caregiving and other caregiver-related factors after adjusting for caregiver demographics.

Keywords: Caregiver burden; Modified caregiver strain index; Urologic cancer.