Copyright
©The Author(s) 2020.
World J Clin Oncol. Dec 24, 2020; 11(12): 1045-1063
Published online Dec 24, 2020. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v11.i12.1045
Published online Dec 24, 2020. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v11.i12.1045
Table 1 Socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents (n = 210)
| Variables | n (%) |
| Gender | |
| Male | 78 (37.1) |
| Female | 132 (62.9) |
| Age (yr) | |
| ≤ 30 | 79 (37.6) |
| 31-50 | 97 (46.2) |
| 51-70 | 34 (16.2) |
| mean ± SD | 35.9 ± 18.1 |
| Marital status | |
| Married | 98 (46.7) |
| Single | 57 (27.1) |
| Divorced | 12 (5.7) |
| Widowed | 43 (20.5) |
| Educational status | |
| No formal education | 21 (10.0) |
| Primary | 74 (35.2) |
| Secondary | 83 (39.6) |
| Tertiary | 32 (15.2) |
| Employment status | |
| Not employed | 81 (38.6) |
| Artisan | 10 (4.8) |
| Traders/business | 21 (10.0) |
| Farmer | 15 (7.1) |
| Contractors | 4 (1.9) |
| Retired | 50 (23.8) |
| Civil/public servant | 19 (9.0) |
| Student/apprentice | 10 (4.8) |
| Relationship to care receiver | |
| Parents | 132 (62.9) |
| Spouse/partner | 43 (20.5) |
| Sibling | 21 (10.0) |
| Friend | 10 (4.8) |
| Brethren | 4 (1.9) |
Table 2 Coping styles adopted by caregivers to care for advanced cancer patients
| Categories | Coping strategies sub-scale | Assertions | mean ± SD |
| Problem-focused coping strategies | Acceptance (changes in effort to accept things) | I have learnt how to adjust to things I cannot change | 2.95 ± 1.00 |
| Helped me take things as they come | 3.00 ± 1.09 | ||
| Shown me that all people need to be loved | 3.24 ± 0.84 | ||
| Reprioritization (self-realization) | Helped me become more focused on priorities with a deeper sense of purpose of life | 2.93 ± 1.03 | |
| Lead me to be more accepting of things | 3.25 ± 0.96 | ||
| Appreciation (changes in appreciation in life) | Lead me to meet people who have become some of my best friends | 3.60 ± 0.73 | |
| Helped me become more aware of the love and support available from other people | 3.21 ± 0.91 | ||
| Brought my family closer together | 3.29 ± 0.84 | ||
| Emotion-focused coping strategies | Family (family unity) | Made me more sensitive to family issues | 3.24 ± 0.65 |
| Helped me to deal better with stress and problems | 3.33 ± 0.78 | ||
| Positive self-view (psychological coping skills) | Taught me to be patient | 3.43 ± 0.85 | |
| Helped me become a stronger person more able to cope effectively with future life challenges | 3.24 ± 1.12 | ||
| Helped me realize who my real friends are | 3.23 ± 1.05 | ||
| Empathy (increase in empathy for all human beings) | Made me more aware and concerned for the future of all human beings | 3.29 ± 0.85 | |
| Taught me that everyone has a purpose in life | 3.31 ± 0.91 | ||
| Made me realize the importance of planning for my family’s future | 3.11 ± 1.76 |
Table 3 Relationship between caregivers’ characteristics and coping strategies
| Variables | Coping strategies | χ2 (P value) | ||
| Effective (n = 185) | Ineffective (n = 25) | Total (n = 210) | ||
| Sex | 14.77 (0.000)a | |||
| Male | 60 (76.9) | 18 (23.1) | 78 (100) | |
| Female | 125 (95.0) | 7 (5.0) | 132 (100) | |
| Age (in years) | 17.79 (0.000)a | |||
| ≤ 30 | 70 (88.6) | 9 (11.4) | 79 (37.6) | |
| 31-50 | 92 (94.8) | 5 (5.2) | 97 (46.2) | |
| 51-70 | 23 (67.6) | 11 (32.4) | 34 (16.2) | |
| mean ± SD | 35.9 ± 18.1 | |||
| Educational status | 48.45 (0.000)a | |||
| No formal education | 17 (80.9) | 4 (19.1) | 21 (10.0) | |
| Primary | 70 (94.6) | 4 (5.4) | 74 (35.2) | |
| Secondary | 81 (97.6) | 2 (2.6) | 83 (39.6) | |
| Tertiary | 17 (53.1) | 15 (46.9) | 32 (15.2) | |
Table 4 Association between caregivers’ perceived burden level and coping strategies
| Variables | Coping strategies | χ2 (P value) | ||
| Level of burden | Effective (n = 185) | Ineffective (n = 25) | Total (n = 210) | |
| 6.94 (0.030)a | ||||
| Trivial or no burden | 37 (100) | 0 (0.0) | 37 (100) | |
| Moderate burden | 67 (88.1) | 9 (11.9) | 76 (100) | |
| Severe burden | 81 (83.5) | 16 (16.5) | 97 (100) | |
Table 5 Functional status of care receivers
| Functional ability | n (%) | |
| Yes | No | |
| Eating (need someone to feed him/her) | 156 (74.3) | 54 (25.7) |
| Bathing/showering | 162 (77.1) | 48 (22.9) |
| Dressing (choosing and wearing appropriate clothing) | 157 (74.8) | 53 (25.2) |
| Grooming (brushing hair, teeth) | 23 (11.0) | 187 (89.0) |
| Using toilet | 151 (71.9) | 5 9 (28.1) |
| Incontinence | 172 (81.9) | 38 (18.1) |
| Transferring from bed/chair/car | 189 (90.0) | 21 (10.0) |
| Preparing meals | 182 (86.7) | 28 (13.3) |
| Staying alone must be supervised | 196 (93.3) | 14 (6.7) |
| Taking medication | 12 (5.7) | 198 (94.3) |
| Managing money or finance | 203 (96.7) | 7 (3.3) |
| Performing household chores | 163 (77.6) | 47 (22.4) |
| Using the telephone | 32 (15.2) | 178 (84.8) |
| Mobility | 142 (67.6) | 68 (32.4) |
| Wandering or the potential to wander | 40 (19.1) | 170 (80.9) |
Table 6 Relationship between functional level of the care receiver (cancer patient) and caregivers’ coping strategies
| Variables | Coping strategies | χ2 (P value) | ||
| Functional ability | Effective (n = 185) | Ineffective (n = 25) | Total (n = 210) | |
| 17.35 (0.000)a | ||||
| Low functional ability | 130 (94.9) | 7 (5.1) | 137 (100) | |
| High functional ability | 55 (75.3) | 18 (24.7) | 73 (100) | |
Table 7 Relationship between duration of care and caregivers’ coping strategies
| Variables | Coping strategies | χ2 (P value) | ||
| Duration of care (in mo) | Effective (n = 185) | Ineffective (n = 25) | Total (n = 210) | |
| 17.72 (0.000)a | ||||
| 1-5 | 32 (72.7) | 12 (27.3) | 44 (100) | |
| 6-10 | 58 (85.3) | 10 (14.7) | 68 (100) | |
| ≥ 11 | 95 (96.9) | 3 (3.1) | 98 (100) | |
Table 8 Relationship between desire to continue caregiving and caregivers’ coping strategies
| Variables | Coping strategies | χ2 (P value) | ||
| Desire to continue caregiving | Effective (n = 185) | Ineffective (n = 25) | Total (n = 210) | |
| Not to continue | 66 (75.9) | 21 (24.1) | 87 (100) | 21.19 (0.000)a |
| To continue | 119 (96.7) | 4 (3.3) | 123 (100) | |
Table 9 Association between type of cancer and caregivers’ perceived burden level
| Type of cancer cases | Burden level | χ2 (P value) | |||
| No burden (n = 37) | Moderate burden (n = 76) | Severe burden (n = 97) | Total (n = 210) | ||
| 59.01 (0.000)a | |||||
| Breast cancer | 14 (20.0) | 44 (62.8) | 12 (17.1) | 70 (100) | |
| Prostate cancer | 7 (11.5) | 10 (16.4) | 44 (72.1) | 61 (100) | |
| Cervical cancer | 5 (11.6) | 15 (34.8) | 23 (53.5) | 43 (100) | |
| Colorectal cancer | 3 (20.0) | 3 (20.0) | 9 (60.0) | 15 (100) | |
| Hodgkin’s lymphoma | 2 (25.0) | 2 (25.0) | 4 (50.0) | 8 (100) | |
| HIV-related cancers (Kaposi sarcoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, etc.) | 5 (62.5) | 1 (12.5) | 2 (25.0) | 8 (100) | |
| Other types | 1 (20.0) | 1 (20.0) | 3 (60.0) | 5 (100) | |
Table 10 Association between type of cancer and caregivers’ coping strategies
| Type of cancer cases | Coping strategies | χ2 (P value) | ||
| Effective (n = 185) | Ineffective (n = 25) | Total (n = 210) | ||
| 7.00 (0.320) | ||||
| Breast cancer | 66 (94.3) | 4 (5.7) | 70 (100) | |
| Prostate cancer | 52 (85.2) | 9 (14.8) | 61 (100) | |
| Cervical cancer | 37 (86.0) | 6 (14.0) | 43 (100) | |
| Colorectal cancer | 13 (86.7) | 2 (13.3) | 15 (100) | |
| Hodgkin’s lymphoma | 7 (87.5) | 1 (12.5) | 8 (100) | |
| HIV-related cancers (Kaposi sarcoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, etc.) | 7 (87.5) | 1 (12.5) | 8 (100) | |
| Other types | 3 (60.0) | 2 (40.0) | 5 (100) | |
- Citation: Akpan-Idiok PA, Ehiemere IO, Asuquo EF, Chabo JAU, Osuchukwu EC. Assessment of burden and coping strategies among caregivers of cancer patients in sub-Saharan Africa. World J Clin Oncol 2020; 11(12): 1045-1063
- URL: https://www.wjgnet.com/2218-4333/full/v11/i12/1045.htm
- DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5306/wjco.v11.i12.1045