Delgado QEG, Barajas GTJ, Uriostegui EL, López LV

Language: Spanish
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ABSTRACT

Introduction: in recent years, it has become of great importance to identify the level of burden and implications on quality of life for primary caregivers of patients with chronic diseases. The caregiver tends not to seek for medical help, putting off his health; he gives priority to the patient's problem. Unfortunately, the caregiver diseases are not diagnosed by the health system.
Objectives: To identify the burden level of primary caregivers for haemodialysis patient. To classify the perceived quality of life within its different dimensions.
Methods: A cross sectional study was performed with no probabilistic sampling. It was conducted during six months. The sample size was 134 primary caregivers. With the SPSS program 19 version the statistical analysis was conducted. For the descriptive statistics, frequencies and proportions were used on qualitative variables, measures of central tendency and X2 in quantitative variables. The original version of the Zarit Burden Interwiew and the Dartmouth COOP Functional Assessment Charts were used.
Results: 76.9 % (n= 103) of the participants were women, 23.1 % (n= 31) were men. The 30.6 % (n= 41) showed no burden, 23.9 % (n= 32) showed mild burden and 45.5 % (n= 61) with severe burden. The functional assessment on physical fitness, feelings, change in health and social support were perceived as pretty bad or very bad.
Conclusions: A large percentage of the studied population shows a severe burden impacting on the perceived functional assessment on the quality of life.