%0 Journal Article
%T Patient- and caregiver-related factors affecting family caregiver burden of urologic cancer patients.
%A Wong LP
%A Xu X
%A Alias H
%A Ting CY
%A Tan HM
%A Lin Y
%J Urol Oncol
%V 42
%N 8
%D 2024 Aug 25
%M 38670816
%F 2.954
%R 10.1016/j.urolonc.2024.04.004
%X <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>This study aimed to investigate the level of family caregivers' (FC) burden and the extent to which patient- and caregiver-related factors influence the caregiving burden among FCs of urologic cancer (UC) patients.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>A cross-sectional survey was conducted on caregivers of UC patients who sought cancer care. The modified caregiver strain index (MCSI) was used to assess FC burden.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Just over half (54.3%) of FCs had moderate/high MCSI scores (score 9-26). By demographics, FCs who were unemployed (OR = 5.55, 95%CI 1.50-20.60) and perceived their current health condition as moderate/poor (OR = 6.05, 95%CI 1.95-18.78) reported higher odds of increased FC burden. Patient performance status played a pivotal role in exacerbating FC burden, whereby the odds of higher FC burden was 13 times higher in caregivers of UC patients having an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance rating score of 3-4 (OR = 13.06, 95%CI 1.44-111.26) than those with a score of 0. Perceived lower levels of confidence in care provision were significantly associated with a higher level of strain (OR = 6.76, 985%CI 1.02-44.90).<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Care recipient performance status was a strong patient-related factor associated with higher FC burden regardless of duration of caregiving and other caregiver-related factors after adjusting for caregiver demographics.