Centre for Health Management and Policy Research, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, No.44 Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
NHC Key Lab of Health Economics and Policy Research (Shandong University), No.44 Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
BMC Public Health. 2020 Nov 25;20(1):1787. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09922-9.
Family caregivers (FCGs) play a key role in the plan of care provision for long-term cancer survivors, yet few studies have been conducted on the impact of long-term caregiving on FCGs and their employment patterns. This study aims to further our understanding of the effect that caregiving role has on FCGs by identifying what cancer-related characteristics influence reduction of employment hours among FCGs in the post-treatment phase in China.
A total of 1155 cancer survivors participated in this study. Patients reported changes in the employment patterns of their FCGs. Descriptive analysis looked at demographic and cancer-related characteristics of cancer survivors and types of FCGs' employment changes in both primary- and post-treatment phases. Chi-square test was used to statistically test the association between survivors' characteristics and changes in FCGs' hours of labor force work in post-treatment phase. Separate multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between cancer-related characteristics of participants and employment reduction patterns among FCGs in post-treatment phase while controlling for demographic factors.
In the primary-treatment phase, 45.6% of all FCGs reduced their working hours and 17.4% stopped working altogether. In the post-treatment phase, 25.2% of FCGs worked fewer hours and 6.6% left the workforce completely. The results show that a higher probability of change in employment hours among FCGs is associated with the following patient characteristics: having comorbidities, receiving chemotherapy treatment, limited ability to perform physical tasks, limited ability to perform mental tasks, and diagnosis of stage II of cancer.
Care for cancer patients in both primary- and post- treatment phases may have substantial impacts on hours of formal employment of Chinese FCGs. Interventions helping FCGs balance caregiving duties with labor force work are warranted.
家庭照顾者（FCG）在长期癌症幸存者的护理计划中发挥着关键作用，但很少有研究关注长期护理对 FCG 及其就业模式的影响。本研究旨在通过确定哪些与癌症相关的特征会影响中国癌症幸存者治疗后阶段照顾者减少工作时间，进一步了解照顾者角色对照顾者的影响。
共有 1155 名癌症幸存者参与了这项研究。患者报告了他们的 FCG 就业模式的变化。描述性分析着眼于癌症幸存者的人口统计学和癌症相关特征，以及在治疗前和治疗后阶段 FCG 就业类型的变化。卡方检验用于统计检验幸存者特征与治疗后阶段 FCG 劳动力工作时间变化之间的关联。单独的多变量逻辑回归模型用于检验参与者的癌症相关特征与治疗后阶段 FCG 就业减少模式之间的关系，同时控制人口统计学因素。
在治疗前阶段，所有 FCG 中有 45.6%减少了工作时间，17.4%完全停止工作。在治疗后阶段，25.2%的 FCG 工作时间减少，6.6%完全离开劳动力市场。结果表明，FCG 就业时间变化的可能性与以下患者特征相关：患有合并症、接受化疗治疗、身体活动能力有限、心理任务能力有限以及诊断为癌症 II 期。
在治疗前和治疗后阶段照顾癌症患者可能会对中国 FCG 的正式工作时间产生重大影响。有必要采取干预措施，帮助 FCG 在照顾职责和劳动力工作之间取得平衡。
