Socio-demographic predictors of cancer patients caregiver burden: A descriptive cross-sectional study of central india

Abstract

Introduction: In India, around 2.0–2.5 million people are living with one or another kind of cancer menace and above 7–8 lakhs new cases added every year to the existing burden. Availability of data in this regard is mostly from developed countries where the social-demographic scenarios are quite different from developing countries on comparing data from developed countries. Although fewer studies had been carried out in India in this regard seems to be non-sufficient for addressing the problem. Objective: To explore social-demographic predictors of Caregiver burden among caregivers of cancer patients attending cancer hospital Jabalpur. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional, hospital-based study conducted in cancer hospital Jabalpur in 340 caregivers. Chi-square test was applied to determine the association of study variables with caregiver burden. Results: Mean scores as assessed by ZBI was found to be 38± 11 (median = 36). 197 (57.9 %) caregivers were male, 143 (42.1%) were female. 81 % of males feel cared for giving burden, while among females only 55 (41.4%) feel it. Despite contributing only 40.6% study population, urban caregivers experienced significantly high (82%) caregiver burden. the maximum caregiving burden observed in middle class 86.4%, which constitutes only 25% of the study population and the caregiver burden was found statistically significant. Conclusion: These finding suggested coping with the problem of care-giving burden more policies and programmes in this direction should have been planned with special attention particularly to reduce burden amongst those having more suffering.