Social factors in informal cancer caregivers: The interrelationships among social stressors, relationship quality, and family functioning in the CanCORS data set

Abstract

Background Social and family factors can influence health outcomes and quality of life of informal caregivers. Little is known about the distribution and correlates of such factors in caregivers of cancer patients. This study sought to fill this gap using data from the Cancer Care Outcomes Research & Surveillance Consortium (CanCORS). Methods Lung and colorectal cancer patients nominated an informal caregiver to participate in a caregiving survey. Caregivers reported their sociodemographic and caregiving characteristics, social stress, relationship quality with the patient, and family functioning. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations assessed the distribution of caregivers’ social factors. Multivariable linear regressions assessed the independent correlates of each social factor. Results Most caregivers reported low-to-moderate levels of social stress and good relationship quality and family functioning. In multivariable analyses older age was associated with less social stress and better family functioning, but worse relationship quality, with effect sizes (Cohen’s D) up to 0.40 (p<0.05). Caring for a female patient was associated with less social stress and better relationship quality, but worse family functioning (effect sizes up to 0.16, p<0.05). Few caregiving characteristics were associated with social stress, while several were significant independent correlates of relationship quality. Finally, social factors were important independent correlates of one another. Conclusions The results indicate the importance of personal and caregiving-related characteristics and the broader family context to social factors. Future work is needed to better understand these pathways and assess whether interventions targeting social factors can improve health or quality of life outcomes for informal cancer caregivers.

A dyadic analysis of stress processes in Latinas with breast cancer and their family caregivers

“…Between 30% and 50% of caregivers experience increased psychiatric morbidity, fatigue, and sleep impairment . Risk of these morbidities is particularly high among caregivers who are female, less educated, younger in age, and caring for younger adult survivors …”

Impacto socioeconômico do câncer de pulmão não-pequenas células no Brasil

“…Alguns dos sintomas que mais afetam esse tipo de paciente estão relacionados à dispneia, fadiga, redução da capacidade física, depressão, insônia e perda de peso (Litzelman et al, 2015).…”

“…O estudo de Litzelman e colaboradores (Litzelman et al, 2015), realizado nos Estados Unidos, demonstrou a maneira pela qual os fatores sociais e familiares podem influenciar nos resultados de saúde e qualidade de vida dos cuidadores, bem como a quantidade de horas que os cuidadores gastam por semana nos cuidados desses pacientes (Litzelman et al, 2015). Os dados das horas despedidas por semana se encontram demonstrados na Tabela 4.…”

“…Dessa maneira, foi possível observar que cuidadores informais tendem a dispensar uma quantidade significativa de horas assistindo estes pacientes com câncer, contribuindo assim para uma importante carga de estresse social, que pode afetar de forma significativa a relação familiar e a qualidade de vida dos mesmos (Litzelman et al, 2015).…”

“…Horas despendidas pelos cuidadores de pacientes com câncer de pulmão e câncer colorretal (Litzelman, 2015) Horas despendidas por semana % de cuidadores média de pontuação do questionário para cada sintoma encontram-se na Figura 2, no qual a maior média de pontuação significa um pior resultado. Desta forma, de acordo com os resultados demonstrados na Figura 2, a média de pontuação para fadiga foi considerada a pior (mais alta) em relação à relatada para outros sintomas como: insônia, dispneia, dor, inapetência, náusea e/ou vômito e diarreia (Braun et al, 2011).…”