title: Health-related quality of life and self-efficacy of managing behavior problems for family caregivers of vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the differences in patients' behavioral problems and health outcomes of family caregivers of patients with vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  
  
  METHODS
  A secondary analysis of baseline data on a subsample of caregiver-dementia patient dyads in a randomized clinical trial.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Family caregivers of VaD patients reported higher self-efficacy than caregivers of AD patients in handling verbally nonaggressive and verbally aggressive behaviors. Caregivers of VaD patients had poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than caregivers of AD patients considering role disability due to physical health problems, bodily pain, social function, and physical component summary. Greater self-efficacy was associated with better mental health-related outcomes for family caregivers of VaD patients, and better self-care ability of VaD patients was associated with better caregiver mental health-related outcomes. Caring for a patient with more severe dementia predicted poor physical health-related outcomes in role disability due to physical health problems, but better overall mental health (mental component summary) for caregivers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to examine and compare the behavioral problems of AD and VaD patients in a Chinese population, along with their family caregivers' self-efficacy and health outcomes. Family caregivers of patients with VaD might warrant specific attention to their HRQoL, with interventions developed to enhance their self-efficacy.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Hsin Sheng College of Medical Care and Management, Longtan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Li-Min
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Huei-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wen-Chuin
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Yea-Ing L
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Shyu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002681:China; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology