J Korean Acad Nurs.  2006 Oct;36(6):983-991.

Family Functioning and Quality of Life of the Family Care-giver in Cancer Patients

• Han KS
• Khim SY
• Lee SJ
• Park ES
• Park YJ
• Kim JH
• Lee KM
• Kang HC
• Yoon JW

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship among quality of life, family coherence, family hardiness, and family resources of the family care-giver caring for a cancer patient. METHOD: Data was collected by questionnaires from 137 families with a cancer patient at a General Hospital and Government Cancer Hospital. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: The score of quality of life showed a significant positive correlation with the score of the level of family sense of coherence, family hardiness, and family resources. The most powerful predictor of quality of life was sense of coherence and the variance was 30%. A combination of sense of coherence and family resources account for 34 % of the variance in quality of life of the family care-giver caring for a cancer patient. CONCLUSION: The results showed that family sense of coherence, hardiness, and family resources were significant influencing factors on the quality of life of the family care-giver caring for a cancer patient.

Keyword

Quality of life; Family function; Hardiness; Sense of coherence

MeSH Terms

Adult
Caregivers/*psychology
*Family
Family Relations
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Neoplasms/*nursing/psychology
*Quality of Life
Questionnaires