School of Nursing, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
J Adv Nurs. 2012 Apr;68(4):846-55. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2011.05787.x. Epub 2011 Jul 28.
This article is a report on a study of the multidimensional predictors of caregiver burden in caregivers of individuals with dementia using nationally representative data.
Caregiver burden affects the health of both caregivers and their care-recipients. Although previous studies identified various predictors of caregiver burden, these predictors have not been confirmed in nationally representative population.
Data for this secondary analysis was provided by the National Alliance for Caregiving, American Association of Retired Persons. The data were collected through a telephone survey of randomly selected adults in seven states in 2003 (weight adjusted n = 302). Descriptive statistics, inter-correlation analysis and a hierarchical multiple regression analysis were performed.
RESULTS/FINDINGS: Disease-related factors were the most significant predictors, explaining 16% of caregiver burden; these were followed by caregiver socio-demographical factors and caregiving-related factors (F = 21·28, P < 0·01). Significant individual predictors were impairment of activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living, the number of hours of caregiving, use of coping strategies, co-residence, spousal status and caregiver gender (P < 0·05).
Impaired function in care-recipients predicts caregiver burden, and also interacts with demographical- and caregiving-related factors. Thus, it will be beneficial to both care-recipients and caregivers to target nursing interventions and community services to improve the functional abilities of individuals with dementia.
本文报告了一项使用全国代表性数据研究痴呆患者照顾者负担的多维预测因素的研究。
照顾者负担会影响照顾者及其护理对象的健康。虽然先前的研究确定了照顾者负担的各种预测因素，但这些预测因素尚未在全国代表性人群中得到证实。
本二次分析的数据由全国照顾者联盟、美国退休人员协会提供。这些数据是通过 2003 年对七个州的随机选择成年人进行电话调查收集的（加权调整后 n = 302）。进行了描述性统计、相互关联分析和分层多元回归分析。
结果/发现：疾病相关因素是最重要的预测因素，占照顾者负担的 16%；其次是照顾者的社会人口统计学因素和照顾相关因素（F = 21.28，P < 0.01）。显著的个体预测因素包括日常生活活动或工具性日常生活活动的受损、照顾时间、应对策略的使用、共同居住、配偶状况和照顾者性别（P < 0.05）。
护理对象功能受损可预测照顾者负担，并且还与人口统计学和照顾相关因素相互作用。因此，针对护理干预和社区服务以改善痴呆患者的功能能力，将对护理对象和照顾者都有益。
