title: Which variable is the strongest adjusted predictor of quality of life in caregivers of patients with dementia?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The central role of family in caregiving for patients with dementia is now widely acknowledged. However, in playing this role, caregivers may neglect their health and quality of life (QOL). The purposes of present study were to measure caregivers' QOL and to determine its adjusted predictors via multiple regression models.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used sequential sampling to recruit 153 patients and their caregivers from the Iran Alzheimer Association in our cross-sectional study. A single-item question with a Likert scale was applied to measure QOL. A multiple linear regression model was used to determine the adjusted predictors of QOL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the responding caregivers, 22.8% reported their QOL as poor or very poor. Caregiver burden, the main caregiver's age, the Global Deterioration Scale, and the number of caregivers were introduced as adjusted predictors of QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Caregiver burden was proposed as the strongest adjusted predictor for caregivers' poor QOL. Therefore, it seems that interventions to reduce caregiver burden can be effective in enhancing caregivers' QOL.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Abdollahpour
authors.forename: Saharnaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nedjat
authors.forename: Yahya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Salimi
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noroozian
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Majdzadeh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: caregiver burden; dementia; single-item QOL; strongest predictor