Factors Affecting Caregiver Burden in Pulmonary Patients

What is it about?

• Patients with chronic pulmonary diseases are generally old and they usually have multiple comorbid conditions requiring caregiver support which is as important as their medical treatment. • In this study, we aimed to evaluate the caregiver burden of patients hospitalized for pulmonary reasons and the factors affecting their caregiver burden by using Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale. • The patients were selected from inpatients admitted to our chest diseases clinic between January 2019 and February 2021. • They had copd, interstitial lung diseases, respiratory failure, lung cancer, pneumonia related with dementia or serebrovascular diseases. • A total of 120 patients and one informal caregiver for each patient were included in the study. • The mean age of the patients and caregivers were seventy six point two and fifty three point seven years, respectively. • 78,3 % of the caregivers were female and most were married and unemployed. • They had poor educational status with low to intermediate income. • The location of care was frequently the patient’s house and the mean duration of care was six point nine years. • More than half of the caregivers had one or more chronic diseases and the mean caregiver burden score was thirty five points . • The caregivers were classified as group1 and group two according to their caregiver burden scores; group 1-light to medium burden group whose burden score is equal to or lower than 40 and group 2; medium to heavy burden group whose burden score is higher than 40. • When compared with group 1, the number of female caregivers were higher in group 2. • There was a positive correlation between the caregiver burden and female gender, and the number of chronic diseases of caregivers and • There was a negative correlation between the caregiver burden and the level of education of the caregivers.

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Why is it important?

• Caregiver burden in pulmonary patients is related to the caregivers’ gender, educational level and number of chronic diseases rather than the patients’ clinical characteristics. • Poorly educated female caregivers with more than one chronic disease perceive higher caregiver burden in pulmonary patients.

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