Quality of life of family caregivers of people with cancer in palliative care

A correlational, descriptive and cross-sectional study conducted with 208 family caregivers of people with cancer in outpatient palliative care in Medellín, Colombia. The Quality of Life in Life-Threatening Illness - Family Caregiver Version (QOLLTI-F) instrument was used.

Results

Quality of life obtained scores between 116.36 and 122.35 (95%CI). The dimensions with the lowest scores were Patient condition (2.4–3.2, 95%CI), Caregiver’s own state (36.2–39.9, 95% CI) and Environment (14.4–15.7, 95%CI). The patient’s and caregiver’s ages and the Karnofsky index presented a positive correlation, from weak to moderate and significant with the caregiver’s quality of life. The daily hours devoted to care presented a weak correlation, negative and significant, with the overall quality of life and with the Caregiver’s own state dimension.

Conclusion

It is necessary to develop interventions to improve quality of life in caregivers of people with advanced cancer in the palliative phase, considering the importance of relief actions and the management of the patient’s functional dependence.

Quality of Life; Caregivers; Neoplasm; Palliative Care

Variable		Number		Percentage
Gender	Female	164		79%
Gender	Male	44		21%
Maximum schooling level	Post-graduate studies	19		9%
	Elementary school	33		16%
	High school	74		36%
	Technical	44		21%
	University	38		18%
Marital status	Married	97		47%
	Separated	15		7%
	Single	57		27%
	Consensual union	32		15%
	Widowed	7		3%
Occupation	Employee	44		21%
	Student	2		1%
	Household chores	111		53%
	Other	13		6%
	Autonomous worker	38		18%
Socioeconomic strata	1	9		4%
	2	52		25%
	3	94		45%
	4	34		16%
	5	14		7%
	6	5		2%
Do you care for the person since diagnosis?	No	21		10%
Do you care for the person since diagnosis?	Yes	187		90%
Religion	Catholic	174		84%
	Christian	15		7%
	None	17		8%
	Jehovah’s Witness	2		1%
Are you the only caregiver?	No	131		63%
Are you the only caregiver?	Yes	77		37%
		Mean	SD^*		95%CI^**
Age in years old		49.72	13.836		47.82–51.62
Time as a caregiver, in years		3.029	3.34		2.1–3.87
Number of hours a day devoted to care		17.606	8.186		16.48–18.72

Variable/Type of statistical data		Number/Descriptive		Percentage
Diagnosis	Bone cancer	3		1%
	Lung cancer	23		11%
	Ovarian cancer	44		21%
	Breast cancer	28		13%
	Gastrointestinal cancer	32		15%
	Kidney cancer	3		1%
	Head and neck cancer	38		18%
	Endocrine cancer	9		4%
Diagnosis	Brain cancer	9		4%
	Prostate cancer	4		2%
	Uterine cancer	3		1%
	Lymphoma	8		4%
	Myeloma	4		2%
Gender	Female	137		66%
Gender	Male	71		34%
		Mean	SD^*	95%CI
Age in years old		62.55	16.21	60.33–64.76
Karnofsky scale		62.64	6.61	61.74–63.55

Quality of life	Statistical data
Quality of life	Mean	Standard Deviation	95%CI
QOLLTI-F total	119.36	21.904	116.36–122.35
Environment	15.12	4.633	14.48–15.75
Patient condition	2.84	3.214	2.40–3.28
Caregiver’s own state	38.08	13.601	36.22–39.94
Caregiver’s outlook	27.29	3.795	26.77–27.81
Quality of care	18.63	2.630	18.28–18.99
Relationships	17.40	3.314	16.95–17.86

Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Enfermagem Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 419 , 05403-000 São Paulo - SP/ Brasil, Tel./Fax: (55 11) 3061-7553, - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: reeusp@usp.br

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[1] Corresponding author: Mauricio Arias-Rojas Universidad de Antioquia, Facultad de Enfermería, Grupo de Investigación GIPECS Calle 64 #53-09, Oficina 323 050035 – Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia emauricio.arias@udea.edu.co