title: Correlates of caregiver burden after coronary artery bypass surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coronary artery bypass (CAB) patients often rely on spouses for care and assistance during recovery after surgery. Caregiving can be stressful and meaningful depending upon the interplay of many factors not completely understood. These factors may affect the spouse caregiver's health-related quality of life (HRQL), which may impact ability to care for the CAB patient.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate patient-spouse caregiver relationship and role variables associated with caregiver burden during the first year after CAB surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of CAB spouses was recruited at 3, 6, or 12 months. Spouses (n = 166) completed a survey that included perceptions of patient health status, caregiver burden and other caregiving variables, and caregiver HRQL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher burden scores were associated with patient's gender (female), poorer patient health status, lower caregiver mental HRQL, increased personal gain, and increased caregiver competence. These correlates explained 38% of the variance in caregiver burden.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only poorer patient health status and lower caregiver mental HRQL were supported by previous research in this population. Positive relationships between burden and caregiver competence and personal gain may be a reflection that spouse caregivers were invested and working hard. They felt satisfied from enhancement of self but were burdened from their caregiving role, providing support for a previously described two-domain caregiving model. Caregiver screening is essential to identify spouses at high risk for negative outcomes. Longitudinal research is needed to identify the correlates and predictors most likely to influence burden and caregiver gain over time, and to more fully understand caregiving in the CAB population.
authors.affiliation: United Hospital, St. Paul, Minnesota 55102, USA. margo.a.halm@allina.com
authors.forename: Margo A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Halm
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Treat-Jacobson
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lindquist
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Savik
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome