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. 2023 Feb 1;30(2):1733-1744.
doi: 10.3390/curroncol30020134.

Quality of Life vs. Supportive Care Needs for Oral Cancer Caregivers: Are They Related?

Aira Syazleen Ahmad  1   2 , Jennifer Geraldine Doss  2   3 , Siti Mazlipah Ismail  4 , Shim Chen Kiong  5 , Md Arad Jelon  6 , Logesvari Thangavalu  7 , Ch'ng Lay Ling  8
Affiliations

Quality of Life vs. Supportive Care Needs for Oral Cancer Caregivers: Are They Related?

Aira Syazleen Ahmad et al. Curr Oncol. .

Abstract

Caregivers providing care for their family members with oral cancer usually endure the caregiving burden in silence, which affects their quality of life and necessitates the need for supportive care. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the quality of life (QOL) of oral cancer caregivers and their supportive care needs (SCN) in Malaysia. The Malaysian versions of the Caregiver Oncology Quality of Life Questionnaire (M-CarGOQoL) and the Comprehensive Needs Assessment Tool for Cancer Caregivers (M-CNAT-C) were self-administered by 56 family caregivers of oral cancer patients from five tertiary hospitals throughout Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak between October and December 2021. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were employed, and the significance level was set at p < 0.05. The mean score for the QOL of caregivers was 76.16 ± 16.01, with the lowest scores in the psychological well-being (64.87 ± 30.12) and self-esteem (68.64 ± 28.29) domains. The mean score for SCN of caregivers was 36.42 ± 24.16, with the highest scores in the healthcare staff (58.44 ± 33.80) and information (55.35 ± 29.98) domains. The correlation between QOL and SCN was moderately inversed, (r(54) = 0.58, p < 0.01). There was a significant effect of caregiving duration (<3 h/day versus >3 h/day) on the combined dependent variables (QOL and SCN), F(2, 53) = 5.006, p < 0.01, partial η2 = 0.16. QOL and caregiving duration accounted for a significant 43% of SCN, R2 = 0.43, adjusted R2 = 0.41, F(2, 53) = 20.32, p < 0.01. In conclusion, oral cancer caregivers with poorer QOL have higher SCN. It is recommended that oral cancer caregivers be recognized by healthcare providers in order to deliver holistic patient care.

Keywords: caregiver; oral cancer; quality of life; supportive care needs.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Oral cancer caregivers’ QOL scores. (a) Frequency of QOL scores (%); (b) M-CarGOQoL domains mean scores.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Oral cancer caregivers’ SCN scores. (a) Frequency of SCN scores (%); (b) M-CNAT-C domains mean scores.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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