Abstract:
Caregiver burden is an expression addressing the adverse consequence of the caring
especially providing care to the elderly withstroke. This descriptive correlational study aimed to
study levels of male caregiver burden and factors related to burden among male caregivers of
elderly with stroke. The sample was eighty three male caregivers and elderly with stroke
attending Prasat Neurological Institute. Research instruments included the demographic data
questionnaire, the Barthel ADL Index, the Perceived Health Status Interview Form, the Thai
Geriatric Depression Scale-15, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the
Caregiver and Patient Relationship Interview Form, the Social Support Interview Form and the
Zarit Burden Interview with reliabilities of .82, .81, .85, .88 and .86 respectively. Descriptive
statistics and Pearsons product moment correlation coefficient were used to analyze data.
Findings revealed that the male caregiver burden of elderly with stroke was at no
burden to mild burden level (M =12.45, SD = 10.73). Depression of caregivers positively related
to male caregiver burden with the significant level of .01 (r = .45). Time spent on giving care per
day and depression of elderly positively related to male caregiver burden with the significant level
of .05 (r = .18, .23 respectively). Relationship with patients, activities of daily living of elderly
and social support of caregivers negatively related to male caregiver burden with the significant
level of .01(r = -.37, -.36, -.29 respectively). Perceived health status of caregivers negatively
related to male caregiver burden with the significant level of .05(r= -.19)
The findings suggest that nurses and healthcare providers should emphasize the
importance and be aware of burden among male caregivers of elderly with stroke. Applying
factors associated with male caregiver burden from this studyfor developing model or nursing
intervention would help reduce burden of these male caregivers.