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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol 2021; 42(03): 268-272
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1735664
Original Article

Quality of Life of Primary Caregivers Attending a Rural Cancer Centre in Western Maharashtra: A Cross-Sectional Study

Shubham S. Kulkarni
1   Department of Palliative Care, Kolhapur Cancer Centre, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
,
Chaitanya Patil
2   Department of Pain and Palliative Care, Kolhapur Cancer Centre, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
,
Yogesh S. Anap
3   Department of Radiation Oncology, Kolhapur Cancer Centre, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
,
Prasad K. Tanawade
3   Department of Radiation Oncology, Kolhapur Cancer Centre, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
,
Parag J. Watve
4   Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Kolhapur Cancer Centre, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
,
Aditya S. Pawar
5   Department of Medical Oncology, Kolhapur Cancer Centre, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
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Funding None.
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Abstract

Introduction Caregiver plays a vital role in taking good care of a cancer patient. But often, the caregiver’s quality of life (QOL) is overlooked.

Objectives This study aimed to understand the Caregiver QOL Index—Cancer (CQOL-C) score of the primary caregivers and to find the significant predictors affecting CQOL-C.

Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among the caregivers attending a rural cancer center in western Maharashtra. The primary caregiver is an immediate relative who assists the patient in most routine activities and is not a professional caregiver. A pretested and predesigned questionnaire using the CQOL-C scale was used to interview the caregivers from December 2019 to June 2020. We analyzed the data using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Univariate analysis was done using Student’s t-test and a multivariate model was generated using linear regression analysis of the data.

Results A total of 114 caregivers were interviewed. The mean total CQOL-C score was 44.15 ± 17.24 (confidence interval [CI]: 41–47.3). About 71% of the caregivers reported moderate-to-severe hampering of their QOL. The mean CQOL-C scores in caregivers of patients with and without recurrent cancer were 58.24 (CI: 51.66–64.81) and 40.58 (CI: 37.35–43.80), respectively (p < 0.001). The mean CQOL-C scores in caregivers of patients with and without metastatic cancer were 56.68 (CI: 51. 13–62.22) and 39.80 (CI: 36.45–43.14), respectively (p < 0.001). The mean CQOL-C score in caregivers of patients with hematological malignancies was 60.03 (CI: 58.88–61.17) which was significantly higher compared with other sites (p = 0.0257).

Conclusion The majority of the caregivers in our study have moderate-to-severe detrimental QOL. Recurrence of cancer and metastatic cancer at presentation are the two significant factors affecting CQOL-C. There is an unmet need to cater to the primary caregiver’s concerns while we focus on treating cancer patients.

Keywords

primary caregiver - cancer - quality of life - rural India


Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
20. September 2021

© 2021. Indian Society of Medical and Paediatric Oncology. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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