Kim Sung-Wan, Kim Jae-Min, Stewart Robert, Bae Kyung-Lyul, Yang Su-Jin, Shin Il-Seon, Shin Hee-Young, Yoon Jin-Sang
Center for Dementia and Degenerative Brain Disease, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Chonnam, Republic of Korea.
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2006 Sep;21(9):853-61. doi: 10.1002/gps.1571.
Caregiver strain was investigated in a community sample of Korean elders with cohabiting caregivers, and factors associated with this were compared between groups classified by cognitive and functional impairment.
The study sample consisted of 484 elders and their cohabiting caregivers resident in Kwangju, South Korea. Caregiver burden was measured by the Zarit Burden Interview. Data on the elders' socio-demographics (age, gender, education, and religion) and clinical characteristics (cognitive function (MMSE), activities of daily living (IADL), depressive symptoms, alcoholism, and physical illness), and caregivers' socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, education, relation to elders, and current employment) and caregiving environments (living area, alternative caregiver, number of rooms, monthly income, and social network) were gathered. Participants were classified into those with (n=61) or without cognitive impairment. The second group was classified into those with (n=68) or without (n=355) functional impairment.
Caregiver strain was significantly associated with cognitive impairment. In the group without cognitive impairment, caregiver strain was significantly associated with participant characteristics (IADL impairment, and symptoms of depression and alcoholism). In those with cognitive impairment, caregiver strain was associated with both participant status (depressive symptoms and IADL impairment) and caregiver characteristics (a child caregiver, lower social support, and urban environment).
Individual mental and physical health characteristics predict caregiver strain regardless of cognitive impairment. Caregiver characteristics are most important in the presence of cognitive impairment.
在韩国与同居照料者共同生活的老年人群体样本中，对照料者压力进行了调查，并比较了按认知和功能障碍分类的各组之间与之相关的因素。
研究样本包括居住在韩国光州的484名老年人及其同居照料者。通过 Zarit 负担访谈量表来测量照料者负担。收集了老年人的社会人口统计学数据（年龄、性别、教育程度和宗教信仰）、临床特征（认知功能（简易精神状态检查表）、日常生活活动能力（工具性日常生活活动能力）、抑郁症状、酗酒情况和身体疾病），以及照料者的社会人口统计学特征（年龄、性别、教育程度、与老年人的关系和当前就业情况）和照料环境（居住地区、替代照料者、房间数量、月收入和社会网络）。参与者被分为有认知障碍组（n = 61）和无认知障碍组。第二组又被分为有功能障碍组（n = 68）和无功能障碍组（n = 355）。
照料者压力与认知障碍显著相关。在无认知障碍组中，照料者压力与参与者特征（工具性日常生活活动能力障碍、抑郁和酗酒症状）显著相关。在有认知障碍的人群中，照料者压力与参与者状况（抑郁症状和工具性日常生活活动能力障碍）以及照料者特征（儿童照料者、社会支持较低和城市环境）均有关联。
无论是否存在认知障碍，个体的身心健康特征都能预测照料者压力。在存在认知障碍的情况下，照料者特征最为重要。
