Quality of life and satisfaction with care among family caregivers of patients with recurrent or metastasized digestive cancer requiring palliative care.
OBJECTIVE
Satisfaction with care is thought to be important for quality of life (QOL) of family caregivers of patients with recurrent or metastasized digestive cancer requiring palliative care. This study aimed to clarify (1) family caregivers' QOL status and (2) factors related to their QOL, including satisfaction with care.


METHODS
Data were collected from 111 family caregivers of patients with recurrent or metastasized digestive cancer. The Short-Form 36 (SF-36) (acute version) was used to measure QOL.


RESULTS
Family caregivers' QOL was lower than the national average (Cohen's d = 0.12-0.66). Lower age of patients and family caregivers (standardized regression coefficient (β) = -0.18, β = -0.26) and family caregivers' perceived health (β = 0.22) were related to better physical health of family caregivers, but satisfaction with care was not related to physical health. However, family caregivers' mental health was related to their satisfaction with care (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (r) = 0.49-0.61, standardized regression coefficient (β) = 0.24-0.42), as well as higher age of family caregivers (β = 0.25), their perceived health (β = 0.30), non-spousal caregiver (β = -0.20), patient lacking a history of surgery aimed at radical treatment (β = -0.22), and patient not hospitalized solely for symptom relief (β = -0.10).


CONCLUSIONS
Family caregivers of patients with recurrent or metastasized digestive cancer requiring palliative care had lower QOL, both physically and mentally, than the national average. Improvements in satisfaction with care may contribute to improved QOL.
Department of Family Nursing, School of Health Sciences and Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan, m-morisita@umin.ac.jp.
Miki
M
Morishita
Kiyoko
K
Kamibeppu
D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000592:standards*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*