Periferik Kan Kök Hücre Nakli Yapılmış Kanser Hastalarının Primer Bakım Vericilerinin Bakım Verme Yükü ve Etkileyen Faktörler

Abstract

This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out to identify caregiving burden and associated factors in primary caregivers of cancer patients undergoing peripheral stem cell transplantation. The study was conducted in the stem cell transplantation outpatient units of Hacettepe University Adult Hospital, Gazi University Hospital and Ankara University Cebeci Hospital. The sample consisted of 55 primary caregivers who are older than 18 years of age, not having mental diseases or any problems that may affect their communication, volunteer to participate to the study. Data were collected using questionnaire developed by researcher and care giving burden was measured with Burden Interview. Non-parametric statistics including Mann-Whitney U Test and Kruskal Wallis Test for group comparisons, and Spearman's correlation for relations among quantitative variables were used. Most of the primary caregivers were women (%69.1), primary school graduate (%52.8), patient's spouse (%56.4) and had lower income compared to expenditure (%54.5). Median duration of caregiving per day was six hours. The median score of Burden Interview was 24 (10-71) and the score was increased with the increase in amount of assumming caregiver activities(p<0.05). The median score were signifacantly lower in high educated caregivers and significantly higher in lower income. Moreover, the median score of tool was significantly higher in caregivers who experienced psychological and financial difficulties (p<0.05). Based on the results of this study it was recommended that; developing specific measurment tools for this group and measuring burden of care in clinical settings, planning nursing interventions to decrease the burden of caregiving, organizing qualitative and prospective researches which examine the experience of primary caregivers.