Influence of cancer patient dependence on caregiver burden

Objective: To determine caregiver burden and its relationship with the level of patient dependence. Material and method: A prospective study was conducted on 95 cancer patients and their caregivers. Inclusion criteria for patients was a diagnosis of cancer, and for caregivers who met the criteria of primary caregiver as defined by World Health Organisation (WHO). Only those caregivers who refused to participate in the study were excluded. The study setting was at home and in the Hospital Oncology Unit. Social and demographic data were recorded: age, sex, relationship to patient, care hours per day, and the time the caregivers spend as such. Finally, the Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale (short version) was completed by caregivers, linking data from the Barthel Index. To test the relationship between dependency and burden we calculated the Pearson correlation by using SPSS 14.0. Results: There was burden in 45% of the respondents, and 57% of patients had some level of dependence. Burden was found in 85% of caregivers of patients with total dependence, 80% of those with high dependence, 70% of those with moderate dependence, and 52% of those with mild dependence. Among the caregivers of independent patients, we found that 78% had no burden. There was a correlation between the level of burden for caregivers and the level of patient dependence (p=.001) Conclusions: 1. The greater the dependence of patients the greater the burden of their caregivers 2. High levels of dependence in patients could be an important indicator of risk of burden in their caregivers (C) 2010 Sociedad Espanola de Cuidados Paliativos. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.