TY - JOUR
T1 - Do age and quality of life of patients with cancer influence quality of life of the caregiver?
AU - Shahi, Varun
AU - Lapid, Maria I.
AU - Kung, Simon
AU - Atherton, Pamela J.
AU - Sloan, Jeff A.
AU - Clark, Matthew M.
AU - Rummans, Teresa A.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding for this study was provided by the Linse Bock Foundation and the Saint Marys Hospital Sponsorship Board . The content of this manuscript is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Linse Bock Foundation or the Saint Marys Hospital Sponsorship Board.
PY - 2014/7
Y1 - 2014/7
N2 - Objective: There are significant burdens associated with providing care for loved ones with cancer. However, caregiver quality of life (QOL) is often overlooked. With the increasing number of older adults with cancer, it is important to determine whether a patient's age and QOL have any association with the caregiver's QOL. The objective of our study was to describe caregiver QOL and explore whether patient age and other psychosocial factors impact caregiver QOL. Materials and Methods: Baseline information from patients with advanced cancer undergoing radiation and their caregivers, who were enrolled in a randomized, controlled clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a structured, multidisciplinary QOL intervention, was analyzed for this study. Caregivers completed the Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer (CQOLC) Scale. Both patients and caregivers completed the Linear Analogue Self-Assessment (LASA) to measure QOL, and Profile of Mood States (POMS) to measure mood states. Results: Overall, 131 patient-caregiver pairs participated in the study. At baseline, caregivers of older adults (≥ 65. years) had higher mental (P= 0.01), emotional (P= 0.003), spiritual (P< 0.01), and social support (P= 0.03) LASA QOL scores. Caregivers of older adults also had higher baseline QOL (CQOLC, P= 0.003) and mood (POMS, P= 0.04) than caregivers of younger adults. Caregivers of patients with higher LASA QOL scores had higher overall (P= 0.02), mental (P= 0.006), physical (P= 0.02), emotional (P= 0.002), and spiritual LASA QOL scores (P= 0.047). Conclusions: Caregivers of older adults with advanced cancer demonstrated better QOL and fewer mood disturbances compared to caregivers of younger patients. When patients have good QOL, caregivers also had good QOL.
AB - Objective: There are significant burdens associated with providing care for loved ones with cancer. However, caregiver quality of life (QOL) is often overlooked. With the increasing number of older adults with cancer, it is important to determine whether a patient's age and QOL have any association with the caregiver's QOL. The objective of our study was to describe caregiver QOL and explore whether patient age and other psychosocial factors impact caregiver QOL. Materials and Methods: Baseline information from patients with advanced cancer undergoing radiation and their caregivers, who were enrolled in a randomized, controlled clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a structured, multidisciplinary QOL intervention, was analyzed for this study. Caregivers completed the Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer (CQOLC) Scale. Both patients and caregivers completed the Linear Analogue Self-Assessment (LASA) to measure QOL, and Profile of Mood States (POMS) to measure mood states. Results: Overall, 131 patient-caregiver pairs participated in the study. At baseline, caregivers of older adults (≥ 65. years) had higher mental (P= 0.01), emotional (P= 0.003), spiritual (P< 0.01), and social support (P= 0.03) LASA QOL scores. Caregivers of older adults also had higher baseline QOL (CQOLC, P= 0.003) and mood (POMS, P= 0.04) than caregivers of younger adults. Caregivers of patients with higher LASA QOL scores had higher overall (P= 0.02), mental (P= 0.006), physical (P= 0.02), emotional (P= 0.002), and spiritual LASA QOL scores (P= 0.047). Conclusions: Caregivers of older adults with advanced cancer demonstrated better QOL and fewer mood disturbances compared to caregivers of younger patients. When patients have good QOL, caregivers also had good QOL.
KW - Informal caregiver
KW - Intervention
KW - Psychosocial
KW - Well-being
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jgo.2014.03.003
DO - 10.1016/j.jgo.2014.03.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 24726867
AN - SCOPUS:84905004524
SN - 1879-4068
VL - 5
SP - 331
EP - 336
JO - Journal of Geriatric Oncology
JF - Journal of Geriatric Oncology
IS - 3
ER -