Bourissi Hiba, Bourkhime Hind, El Rhazi Karima, Mellas Soufiane
Laboratory of Anatomy, Surgery, and Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dental Medicine, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, MAR.
Laboratory of Epidemiology, Clinical Research, and Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, MAR.
Cureus. 2024 Sep 24;16(9):e70074. doi: 10.7759/cureus.70074. eCollection 2024 Sep.
Background Cancer is a serious public health problem worldwide, causing an impact not only on the patient's quality of life (QoL) but also on their caregiver. This study aims to assess the socio-demographic characteristics, physical and mental QoL, and associated factors among caregivers of cancer patients at the Hassan II University Hospital Center in Fez, Morocco. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of 247 caregivers of cancer patients. Their QoL including physical and mental health aspects was assessed using a 12-item Short Form health survey (SF-12). Statistical analysis was conducted utilizing IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows v26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, USA). This included calculating frequency distributions and percentages. The general and socio-demographic data associated with QoL were analyzed using the student's t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Only variables with p-value <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results The majority of the participants were 40 years old and over, and 54.3% of the total participants were women. The average physical QoL score was 47.32 (±7.08), while the average mental QoL score was 31.64 (±14.44). For caregivers, certain personal attributes and circumstances were found to influence their mental and physical QoL. Age, gender, and being unemployed were common factors impacting both the mental and physical well-being of caregivers. Moreover, being married (P=0.019) was an additional factor affecting their physical QoL. In contrast, specific aspects related to the caregiving role itself also played a significant role. Caregivers who were close family members of patients (P=0.0001) and those providing care for patients with genitourinary cancer (P=0.048) experienced a notable detrimental effect on their mental QoL. Conclusion This study highlights several factors associated with the poor QoL of caregivers, such as gender, age, professional activity, and the relationship with the patient. It is imperative to establish a specific support system for caregivers of cancer patients, including social and economic assistance, to enhance their physical and mental QoL.
癌症是全球严重的公共卫生问题，不仅对患者的生活质量（QoL）产生影响，也对其照顾者造成影响。本研究旨在评估摩洛哥非斯哈桑二世大学医院中心癌症患者照顾者的社会人口学特征、身心健康状况及相关因素。
这是一项对247名癌症患者照顾者的横断面研究。使用12项简短健康调查问卷（SF - 12）评估他们包括身心健康方面的生活质量。利用IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows v26.0（美国纽约州阿蒙克市IBM公司）进行统计分析。这包括计算频率分布和百分比。使用学生t检验和单因素方差分析（ANOVA）分析与生活质量相关的一般和社会人口学数据。仅p值<0.05的变量被认为具有统计学意义。
大多数参与者年龄在40岁及以上，占总参与者的54.3%为女性。身体生活质量平均得分为47.32（±7.08），而心理生活质量平均得分为31.64（±14.44）。对于照顾者而言，某些个人属性和情况被发现会影响他们的心理和身体生活质量。年龄、性别和失业是影响照顾者身心健康的常见因素。此外，已婚（P = 0.019）是影响其身体生活质量的另一个因素。相比之下，与照顾角色本身相关的特定方面也起着重要作用。患者的近亲照顾者（P = 0.0001）以及为泌尿生殖系统癌症患者提供照顾的照顾者（P = 0.048）在心理生活质量方面受到显著不利影响。
本研究强调了与照顾者生活质量差相关的几个因素，如性别、年龄、职业活动以及与患者的关系。为癌症患者照顾者建立一个包括社会和经济援助在内的特定支持系统，以提高他们的身心健康质量势在必行。
