The Correlation Among Health Status, Burden and Quality of Life of the Adult Stroke Patient's Family and the Elderly Stroke Patient's Family

Kim, Kwuy Bun; Lee, Kyung Ho

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation among the stroke patient family's health, burden and quality of life which is based upon the comparative appreciation of the adult stroke patient's family and elderly stroke patient's family. For this purpose, data were collected from the family care-givers for two groups of stroke patients under sixty years old and over sixty years of age, admitted at K Hospital and H Hospital in Seoul. The instruments for this research are based on the tool for measuring physical health and psychological health developed by Yang, Young-hee(1992), the tool for measuring the sense of burden by Seo, Mee-hae and Oh, Ga-sil(1993), and the tool for the quality of life by Noh, Yoo-ja(1988). The sampling for this study was done from December, 2000 until February, 2001. Questionnaire data were drawn up by personal interviews aided by the staff nurses. The analysis of collected data are based on general characteristics calculated at the rate of 100 percent of the average, t-test, ANOVA(some difference on a level with p<.05 being subsquently confirmed by DMR) for Health Status, Burden, Quality of Life and Pearson Correlation to verify the hypothetical correlation among the subjects. The results of this study are as follows: 1. In the adult stroke patient family, the factors influencing the physical health proved to be age, present occupation and family-formation. Here, the factors influencing psychological health turned out to be age, matrimonial status, present occupation and family-formation. In the elderly stroke patient family, the factors influencing physical health proved to be age, gender, final academic status, matrimonial status, present occupation, and relation with the patient. Here, the factors influencing the psychological health were age, final academic status, matrimonial status, present occupation, relation with the patient and family-formation. In the former case, the influencing factors upon the burden were shown to be age, final academic status, matrimonial status, relation with the patient and family-formation. In the latter case, the influences upon the burden were age, gender, final academic status, matrimonial status, present occupation and relation with the patient. In the former case, the influences on the quality of life were gender, and economic situation. In the later case, the influencing factors on the quality of life were age, final academic status, matrimonial status, present occupation, and relation with the patient. 2. The rate of the physical condition in the former case turned out to be 2.83, and the psychological condition 2.37. The physical condition of the latter case was 2.76, and the psychological condition 2.46. The rate of the burden in the former case was 3.14, and that of the latter case was 3.04. The rate of quality of life in the former case proved to be 2.46, and that of the latter case 2.55. 3. The rate of correlation between the burden and the quality of life appeared to be the high counter-correlation (r= -.573). The rate of correlation between the psychological health and the burden of a simialr (r= -.565). The rate of correlation between the physical health and the psychological health proved to be a moderate correlation (r= .372), The rate of correlation between physical health and the burden turned out to be a low counter-correlation (r= -.276). According to this study, there proved to be a very close correlation among the stroke patient family's health, the burden and quality of life. Thus, it would be necessary to find out various nursing interventions in order to mitigate the stroke patient family's burden in the process of caring for the patients.