Assessment of Level of Burden Among Caregivers of Stroke Patients
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64149/J.Carcinog.24.7s.66-73Keywords:
stroke, caregiver burden, caregiving, demographic variablesAbstract
Background: Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability, often requiring sustained caregiving by family members. Caregivers frequently experience physical, psychological, and social burden.
Objectives: 1) To assess the level of burden among caregivers of stroke patients at selected hospitals; 2) To explore the association of burden level with selected demographic variables.
Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted among 100 primary caregivers of stroke survivors in Pune, India. Socio-demographic and caregiving-related data were collected using a structured questionnaire from caregivers of patients admitted to the neurology wards of four selected hospitals. Caregiver burden was measured using the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-22), a validated tool assessing multidimensional caregiving impact. Assessments were performed at four timepoints: baseline, 2, 4, and 8 weeks. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, SD) and inferential tests (Chi-square/Fisher’s exact test). A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Caregivers were predominantly female (67%) and aged 41–50 years (30%). Most were married (82%) and from urban areas (47%). The majority provided 8–10 hours of daily care (40%). Caregiver burden increased progressively across the four timepoints, with moderate burden reported by 58–80% and severe burden by 15% at 8 weeks. No significant association was observed between caregiver burden and demographic variables, indicating that burden was independent of age, gender, education, occupation, marital status, family type, or region (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Stroke caregivers experience substantial and progressively increasing burden, irrespective of demographic characteristics. These findings underscore the need for universal interventions, including structured caregiver education, psychological support, and respite services, to mitigate burden and enhance caregivers’ quality of life.
