Contributing Factors to the Burden on Primary Family Caregivers of Stroke Survivors in South Korea

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors associated with the burden on primary family caregivers of stroke patients at home without care services. For this study, the Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation (KOSCO) data were used. Of the total 8010 caregivers, 1133 family caregiver burden was assessed with the shortened Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) 3 months after stroke. Patient and caregiver-related factors affecting the heavier burden of caregivers were identified by comparing the heavier caregiver burden group and the lighter caregiver burden group, which divided according to the CBI scores. The 719 (63.5%) family caregiver cared for patients at home without care services. Logistic regression analysis showed that four or more comorbidities (p = 0.002), neurological impairment at early onset (p < 0.001), dependence on daily life (p < 0.001), aphasia(p = 0.024), and depression(p < 0.001) were associated with a heavier burden of care. According to the shortened CBI, caregivers tended to be concerned more about psychological stress than physical strain. The findings suggest the importance of proactively guiding the emotional support services to caregivers who are at high risk of the heavier burden of patient care.

Predictors of Burden for First-Ever Stroke Survivor’s Long-Term Caregivers: A Study of KOSCO

“…This finding reflects the important role of the patients' mobility function in the actual caregiving process. A previous study of the KOSCO reported that factors related to the burden on caregivers of stroke survivors at 3 months after stroke onset were four or more comorbidities, neurological impairment at early onset, and dependence for activities of daily living, which were associated with a heavier burden of care [22]. Several studies also showed that dependency on activities of daily living and neurologic deficits among stroke survivors were strongly related to the burden on caregivers in not only the subacute stage but also the chronic stage [12][13][14][15][16][19][20][21][22]45,46].…”

“…Caregiver burden is a subjective perception of a caregiver's workload. Previous studies have identified specific patient variables (e.g., disability, activities of daily living, anxiety, and depression) and caregiver variables (e.g., caregiver workload, anxiety, and depression) as burden predictors [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. Several studies revealed that caregiver burden can decrease over time [14,15,23,24] by adapting to lifestyle changes and developing coping strategies [25].…”