Socio-demographic profile and burden on caregivers of cancer patients treated in a palliative care unit
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17834980Keywords:
socio-demographic profile, caregiver burden, cancer patientsAbstract
The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of caregivers associated with caregiver burden in the context of caring for cancer patients treated in a palliative care unit. The study was observational, correlational, and prospective. The study population consisted of 127 caregivers, all of whom were included in the study, so no sample was extracted. The average age of the caregivers was 41.28 years; 63.8% were women and 54.3% were single. In terms of educational level, 47.2% had higher education and 36.2% had secondary education. Regarding their relationship with the patient, 55.9% were children and 27.6% were other relatives, such as siblings, nephews, brothers-in-law, or grandchildren. Fifty-eight point three percent of caregivers showed some degree of overload; of these, 34 cases (26.8%) corresponded to mild overload and 40 cases (31.5%) to intense overload. The conclusions showed that there are characteristics associated with caregiver burden, including marital status and current employment. Both variables are significantly associated with caregiver burden. These results highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve the quality of life of caregivers and thereby reduce the burden on family caregivers of cancer patients.
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