Unmet needs and quality of life of family caregivers of cancer patients in South Korea

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of unmet needs and quality of life (QOL) among family caregivers (FCs) of cancer patients and to characterize the relationship between unmet needs and QOL.

Methods:

A descriptive correlation design was used. Data were collected by convenience sampling during 2013 from 191 FCs of cancer patients who visited an outpatient cancer center in a general hospital in Korea. The comprehensive needs assessment tool for cancer-caregivers and the Korean version of the Caregiver QOL Index-Cancer were used to measure unmet needs and QOL, respectively.

Results:

FCs of cancer patients had a variety of unmet needs with prevalence ranged from 57.0% to 88.9%, depending on the domain. The domain with the highest prevalence of unmet needs was healthcare staff, followed by information/education. The mean QOL score was 74.62, with a possible range of 0-140. A negative correlation was found between unmet needs and QOL. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that unmet needs relating to health/psychological problems, practical support, family/social support, in addition to household income, cohabitation with the patient, and patient's age, explained 52.7% of the variance in QOL. The most influential factor was unmet needs relating to health/psychological problems, which accounted for 35.7% of the variance.

Conclusions:

The results of this study indicate that oncology professionals need to develop interventions to improve the QOL of FCs by focusing not only on information/educational needs of patient care but also on physical and psychological needs of FCs.

Related collections

Most cited references 24

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Review of the literature on the effects of caring for a patient with cancer.

Una Stenberg, Cornelia M. Ruland, Christine Miaskowski (2010)

To adequately help family caregivers (FCs) of cancer patients, clinicians need to understand the complexity of the problems and responsibilities associated with cancer patients illness that FCs experience. This systematic review identified the types of problems and burdens that FCs of cancer patients experience during the patient's illness. We also analyzed the language caregivers use to communicate their problems and responsibilities related to caregiving for the cancer patient. Of 2845 titles identified, 192 articles met the inclusion criteria and are included in this review. Of these, 164 were research-based. In addition to FC responsibilities and the impact of being a caregiver on daily life, a number of other physical, social, and emotional problems related to caregiving for these FCs were identified. A substantial evidence base supports the conclusion that FCs experience many difficult problems and increased responsibilities during and after the patient is undergoing treatment and rehabilitation for cancer. The insights gained from this review will help researchers and clinicians to understand the complexity of problems and responsibilities FCs experience. This understanding may encourage them to include support for FCs as part of total or holistic patient care. However, more research is needed to better understand the variations in caregiving experiences over time; how the caregiving perspective is influenced by different cultural, ethnic, or socioeconomic backgrounds as well as gender and age; and how problems and responsibilities related to caregiving interfere with daily life. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

0 comments Cited 199 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Interventions with family caregivers of cancer patients: meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Laurel L Northouse, Maria C Katapodi, Lixin Song … (2010)

Family caregivers of cancer patients receive little preparation, information, or support to perform their caregiving role. However, their psychosocial needs must be addressed so they can maintain their own health and provide the best possible care to the patient. The purpose of this article is to analyze the types of interventions offered to family caregivers of cancer patients, and to determine the effect of these interventions on various caregiver outcomes. Meta-analysis was used to analyze data obtained from 29 randomized clinical trials published from 1983 through March 2009. Three types of interventions were offered to caregivers: psychoeducational, skills training, and therapeutic counseling. Most interventions were delivered jointly to patients and caregivers, but they varied considerably with regard to dose and duration. The majority of caregivers were female (64%) and Caucasian (84%), and ranged in age from 18 to 92 years (mean age, 55 years). Meta-analysis indicated that although these interventions had small to medium effects, they significantly reduced caregiver burden, improved caregivers' ability to cope, increased their self-efficacy, and improved aspects of their quality of life. Various intervention characteristics were also examined as potential moderators. Clinicians need to deliver research-tested interventions to help caregivers and patients cope effectively and maintain their quality of life. Copyright 2010 American Cancer Society, Inc.

0 comments Cited 174 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Quality of life of family caregivers of cancer survivors: across the trajectory of the illness.

Youngmee Kim, B Given (2008)

Cancer affects not only the quality of life (QOL) of individuals with the disease but also that of their family members and close friends. The impact on various aspects of the family caregivers' QOL is significant throughout the trajectory of the illness. The authors reviewed literature on the QOL of family caregivers at the acute and middle- to long-term survivorship phases as well as the bereavement phase. By using several databases, the authors searched the literature published in English from 1996 through July 2007. Keywords searched included cancer, carcinoma, family, family member, caregivers, and quality of life. Several criteria were used to guide the literature review: Articles had to be published in refereed journals and had to use rigorous methods, sample, and validated measures. The findings suggested that the QOL of family caregivers of individuals with cancer varies along the illness trajectory. This highlights were importance of assessing the ongoing adjustment of the caregivers over time. However, there were few theory-driven studies, and significant gaps remain in the current understanding of the effects of family caregiving beyond the time of diagnosis and treatment. Accumulating evidence has supported the concept that cancer affects not only the patients/survivors but also their family members. However, theoretically and methodologically rigorous research on various aspects of the family's QOL, including not only the psychological but also the physical, spiritual, and behavioral adjustment to cancer in the family, remains sparse. Family-based interventions across the trajectory of the illness also are needed.

0 comments Cited 91 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

All references

Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs

Journal ID (publisher-id): APJON

Title: Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing

Publisher: Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd (India )

ISSN (Print): 2347-5625

ISSN (Electronic): 2349-6673

Publication date (Print): Jul-Sep 2015

Volume: 2

Issue: 3

Pages: 152-159

Affiliations

[1 ]Department of Nursing, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea

[2 ]College of Nursing and Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea

Author notes

Corresponding author: Myungsun Yi E-mail: donam@ 123456snu.ac.kr

Article

Publisher ID: APJON-2-152

DOI: 10.4103/2347-5625.158019

PMC ID: 5123473

PubMed ID: 27981109

SO-VID: f7fa6617-2557-49eb-8464-2ad5064e6e1c

License:

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

History

Date received : 25 February 2015

Date accepted : 03 May 2015

Comments

Comment on this article

scite_

Cited by 16

See all cited by

Most referenced authors 434

See all reference authors

- Version 1
- Version 1

Unmet needs and quality of life of family caregivers of cancer patients in South Korea

Read this article at

Abstract

Objective:

Methods:

Results:

Conclusions:

Related collections

Asian Journal of Quality of Life (AjQoL)

Most cited references 24

Review of the literature on the effects of caring for a patient with cancer.

Interventions with family caregivers of cancer patients: meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Quality of life of family caregivers of cancer survivors: across the trajectory of the illness.

Author and article information

Journal

Affiliations

Author notes

Article

History

Categories

Comments

Comment on this article

Similar content 272

Cited by 16

Most referenced authors 434