Wanna Meesuk. The factors predicting health status of caregivers of stroke patients . Master's Degree(Adult Nursing). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2005.
The factors predicting health status of caregivers of stroke patients
Abstract:
The present cross-section research was designed to investigate the factors predicting
health status of caregivers of stroke patients using the stress theory and stress coping theory of
Lazarus & Folkman (1984) as the conceptual framework of the study. The subjects consisted
of 93 primary family caregivers who continuously provided care to stroke patients at home for
at least one month but not more than two years without receiving any wage or payment in
return. These caregivers took the patients to their treatment at the outpatient department of the
Neurology Institute and Siriraj Hospital or to their physical therapy at the physical therapy
department of Siriraj Hospital from February to July, 2004. The instruments used in this
study included the demographic characteristic questionnaire, the strain from direct care
questionnaire, the caregiver role strain questionnaire, the communication problems
questionnaire, the level of patient dependency questionnaire, and the caregiver health status
questionnaire. Data analysis included descriptive analysis, Pearson’s product moment
correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis.
The findings revealed that the mean age of the caregiver subjects was 49.44 years,
38.8 % were wives of the patients, and the mean duration of caregiving was 9.86 months. The
subjects had health problems both before and after beginning their caregiving duty (28% and
100%, respectively). In addition, the subjects had perceived level of dependency, strain from
direct care, role strain, and communication problems at a rather low level (mean = 60.26, SD
= 4.29; mean = 123.36, SD = 21.19; mean = 56.01, SD = 12.64; mean = 4.20, SD = 0.99;
respectively). On the other hand, their perceived health status was at a rather high level (mean
= 2054.65, SD = 403.72). Also, role strain and communication problem could co-predict
caregiver’s health status by 28.7%, role strain was negatively related to caregivers’ health
status (r = -.483, p < .01) and could predict caregivers’ health status by 23.3%.Finally,
communication problems were associated with caregivers’ health status (r = -.302, p < .01)
and could predict caregivers’ health status by another 5.4%.
Based on these findings, it is recommended that nurses should prepare for caregivers’
readiness continuously during the first two years of caregiving. In particular, the health status
of caregivers who have health problems before beginning caregiving should be monitored and
assessed to reduce their stress and promote their well-being, as well as to enhance the
relationship among family members.