Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Italy.
Department of Psychology, University of Milan 'Bicocca', Italy.
Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2019 Dec;18(8):691-699. doi: 10.1177/1474515119863173. Epub 2019 Jul 18.
The burden is high in caregivers of heart failure patients, but the literature on patient and caregiver predictors of caregiver burden is inconsistent. Also, it is unknown if caregiver contribution to heart failure self-care maintenance (i.e. helping patients to maintain heart failure stable) and self-care management (i.e. helping patients to act in case of heart failure worsening) increases caregiver burden.
To identify caregiver and patient predictors of caregiver burden in heart failure; and to evaluate if caregiver contribution to heart failure self-care maintenance and management increases caregiver burden.
A cross-sectional study with the enrolment of 505 caregivers of heart failure patients. We used the caregiver burden inventory and the caregiver contribution to self-care of heart failure index. We analysed the data using hierarchical regression.
Heart failure caregivers, mostly women (52.5%), with a mean age 56.5 (±14.9) years, cared for heart failure patients, mostly men (55.2%), with a mean age of 75.9 (±10.4) years. Caregiver predictors of higher caregiver burden were older age, female gender, fewer caregiving hours and poor social support. Patient predictors of higher caregiver burden were older age, better education, taking fewer medications and higher quality of life. Caregiver contribution to self-care maintenance and management were not significant predictors of caregiver burden.
Our results could help providers to identify heart failure caregivers who are more exposed to burden. As caregiver contribution to heart failure self-care improves patient outcomes and seems not burdensome for caregivers, providers may consider educating caregivers about self-care as a viable option for improving patient outcomes without increasing caregiver burden.
心力衰竭患者的照顾者负担沉重，但关于患者和照顾者预测照顾者负担的文献并不一致。此外，尚不清楚照顾者对心力衰竭自我护理维持（即帮助患者维持心力衰竭稳定）和自我护理管理（即帮助患者在心力衰竭恶化时采取行动）的贡献是否会增加照顾者的负担。
确定心力衰竭患者照顾者和患者的预测因素；并评估照顾者对心力衰竭自我护理维持和管理的贡献是否会增加照顾者的负担。
一项横断面研究，纳入了 505 名心力衰竭患者的照顾者。我们使用了照顾者负担量表和照顾者对心力衰竭自我护理贡献量表。我们使用分层回归分析数据。
心力衰竭照顾者主要为女性（52.5%），平均年龄为 56.5（±14.9）岁，照顾者为男性（55.2%），平均年龄为 75.9（±10.4）岁。照顾者负担较高的预测因素包括年龄较大、女性、照顾时间较少和社会支持较差。患者负担较高的预测因素包括年龄较大、教育程度较高、服用药物较少和生活质量较高。照顾者对自我护理维持和管理的贡献不是照顾者负担的显著预测因素。
我们的研究结果可以帮助提供者识别更容易感到负担沉重的心力衰竭照顾者。由于照顾者对心力衰竭自我护理的贡献改善了患者的预后，并且似乎对照顾者没有负担，提供者可以考虑将照顾者教育作为改善患者预后而不增加照顾者负担的可行选择。
