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Kim, Kim, Park, Lee, Hwang, Kim, Jang, Park, Lee, Lee, Lee, Kim, and Jung: Burden of COPD among Family Caregivers
Original Article
Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2010; 69(6): 434-441.

Published online: 31 December 2010

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2010.69.6.434

Burden of COPD among Family Caregivers

Jeong Hwa Kim, M.S.W.1, Eun Kyung Kim, M.S.W.2, Sun Hyung Park, M.S.W.2, Kyung Ae Lee, M.S.W.2, Yong Il Hwang, M.D.3, Eun Ji Kim, M.D.3, Seung Hun Jang, M.D.3, Sung Hoon Park, M.D.3, Chang Youl Lee, M.D.4, Myung Goo Lee, M.D.4, Ji Yeon Lee, M.S.W.5, Dong-Gyu Kim, M.D.3, Ki-Suck Jung, M.D.3

1Graduate School of Social Welfare, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.

2Department of Social Work, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.

3Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.

4Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea.

5Department of Social Work, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea.

Address for correspondence: Ki-Suck Jung, M.D. Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, 896, Pyeongan-dong, Dongan-gu, Anyang 431-070, Korea. Phone: 82-31-380-3717, Fax: 82-31-380-3973, pulmoks@hallym.ac.kr

Received 2 September 2010       Accepted 12 October 2010

Copyright © 2010. The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases. All rights reserved.

Abstract

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major health problem resulting in significant burden for patients and families. However, family caregivers' burden has not been well recognized. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the level of caregivers' burden and to explore the related factors based on family, patient, and social support factors.

Methods

A face-to-face interview with 86 family caregivers who had been taking care of COPD patients was conducted. The participants answered a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included the level of family caregivers' burden, health status and the relationship within the family, functional limitation of patients perceived by family caregivers and the social support.

Results

The level of caregivers' burden among participants was considerably high. Risk factors for caregivers' burden included low educational level of family caregivers, low family income, hours of caregiving, and functional limitation of the patients. Protective factors for caregivers' burden were good relationship within the family and support from other family members or friends.

Conclusion

It is proved that family caregivers are facing significant burden in taking care of COPD patients. To reduce family caregivers' burden, it is necessary to address socioeconomic status of the family and to provide various community resources including financial support and nursing services.

Keywords: Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive, Family Nursing, Cost of Illness

Figures and Tables

Figure 1
Study model.
trd-69-434-g001
Figure 2
The level of family caregivers' burden.
trd-69-434-g002
Table 1
Demographic characteristics of family caregivers
trd-69-434-i001
Table 2
Demographic and clinical characteristics of COPD patients
trd-69-434-i002

COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; GOLD: global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease.

Table 3
Data of family health stage, family relationship, patient functional limitation and social support
trd-69-434-i003

*Higher scores indicate higher stage of health, †Higher scores indicate more positive family relationship, ‡Higher scores indicate a greater number of functional limitation symptoms, §Higher scores indicate receiving greater social support.

SD: standard deviation.

Table 4
Family caregivers' burden according to various indices
trd-69-434-i004

Values are presented as mean unless stated otherwise. t-test was performed for sex, occupation, share of responsibility (one-way). ANOVA was performed for age group, education level, income level, relationship with patient, and average hours of caregiving per day.

*p<0.01, †p<0.05, ‡p<0.001.

Table 5
Family caregivers' burden according to the COPD patients' status
trd-69-434-i005

Values are presented as means unless stated otherwise. t-test was performed for sex, treatment type (one-way). ANOVA was performed for age group, smoking status, and COPD stage. COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; GOLD: Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease.

*p<0.05.

Table 6
Correlation between family caregivers' burden and factors of family, patient and social support
trd-69-434-i006

Values are correlation coefficient (r).

*p<0.001, †p<0.01, ‡p<0.05.

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