Perception of quality of life in caregivers of patients with catastrophic illness
Keywords:
caregivers; catastrophic illness; quality of lifeAbstract
Introduction: Caregivers of patients with catastrophic illness experience an altered perception of quality of life due to the overall impact on their health; however, studies in this regard are not frequent in Ecuador.
Objective: To determine the perceived quality of life of caregivers of patients with catastrophic illnesses.
Methods: A descriptive and correlational study was conducted with a population of 127 caregivers of patients with catastrophic illnesses in the Chimborazo province of Ecuador. The final sample consisted of 97 individuals. The variables investigated were sociodemographic characteristics and perceived quality of life. Data was collected using the Short Form-36 questionnaire. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to identify the correlation between perceived quality of life and time spent as a caregiver.
Results: The average age was 53.28 years; female caregivers predominated (78.35%) and those with more than 6 years of experience as a caregiver (43.30%). The overall mean quality of life perception was 62.88 points with a standard deviation of 9.78 points. A medium negative correlation was identified between the time spent as a caregiver and the perception of quality of life. The most affected dimensions were social functioning, vitality, and emotional role.
Conclusions: The negative impact on the perceived quality of life of caregivers of patients with catastrophic illnesses is exacerbated by increasing the time spent performing this activity.
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References
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