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Quality of Life and Burden of Lung Cancer Patients’ Caregivers: A Cross-Sectional Study from Southern Thailand

Objective: To measure the Quality of Life (QoL) and Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS) of lung cancer patients’ caregivers and assess the associated factors. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. We interviewed lung cancer patients and their caregivers who were visiting the outpatient department of a tertiary hospital in Thailand. QoL was measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF-THAI. CBS was measured by Zarit’s burden interview. The data were collected using the KoBoToolbox application. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was used to assess associations between caregivers’ QoL and CBS with the dependent variables, including patient and caregiver factors. Results: Two hundred and four patients and 202 caregivers were included in the study. The only caregivers factor associated with lower QoL was younger age [odds ratio (OR)=0.33, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.11-0.95)] while factors associated with better QoL were income (OR=3.91, 95% CI: 1.13-14.50) and being a child of the patient (OR=3.24, 95% CI: 1.02-11.30). The main caregivers factor associated with a lower CBS was being Muslim (OR=0.16, 95% CI: 0.05-0.52), and the main factor associated with a higher CBS was income (OR=6.12, 95% CI: 1.66-23.75). The patients factors affecting CBS were female (OR=0.36, 95% CI: 0.17-0.71), Barthel’s activity daily living (ADL) index (OR= 7.42, 95% CI: 1.99-28.65), and ≥2 years looking after a patient (OR=0.40, 95% CI: 0.18-0.88). Conclusion: The factors affecting caregivers’ QoL and CBS were their patients’ ADL and years with disease. Training on caring patients to maintain the patients’ ADL for caregivers should be provided. Health authorities should provide opportunities for patients to share their experience on how they live and cope with the symptoms of lung cancer.