Factors Predicting Burden among Caregivers of Stroke Patients

Burden among Caregivers of Stroke Patients

Abstract

Stroke is an illness in which various functions are impaired, reducing self-care abilities and necessitating continuous caregiving efforts. Caregivers invest significant time and energy, impacting physical health, mental well-being, lifestyle, and family income. This predictive research aimed to assess predictors of caregiver burden for stroke patients, including caregivers' economic status, daily caregiving duration, patients' activities of daily living, and social support. The research involved 100 caregivers of outpatients at a tertiary care hospital in the lower northern region of Thailand. Tools included volunteer screening forms, personal data sheets, assessments of patients' daily living abilities, social support evaluations, and caregiver burden assessments. Data were presented using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Analysis employed Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression, revealing that caregiver burden was at a low level. The ability to perform daily activities of the patients (β = -0.581, p < 0.001) and caregiver burden (β = -0.189, p = 0.019) were negatively associated with the caregiver's care burden accounting for 38.6% of the variance (adjusted R² = 0.386, p < 0.001). This study's findings can inform nursing planning by enhancing patients' daily living abilities and increasing social support to reduce or prevent caregiver burden for cerebrovascular disease patients