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Global quality of life in primary caregivers of patients with cancer in palliative phase staying at home

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Abstract

Goal of work

Research on global quality of life (GQOL) in primary caregivers (PCGs) of cancer patients is limited. This study measured significant domains of GQOL in PCGs and their association with the patients’ disease trajectory and the PCGs’ background and life situation. This study also explored differences in their GQOL compared to a normative sample from the general population (NORM).

Patient and methods

In a cross-sectional design, 71 PCGs (aged ≥50 years) of cancer patients in palliative phase rated their GQOL by the Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) and provided information concerning demography, experienced social support, and caring situation. Associations between the QOLS scores and variables of the patients’ medical history were assessed, and comparisons of QOLS scores were made between the PCGs and age- and gender-adjusted NORM.

Main results

Long duration of the curative phase for patients and holding a job for PCGs were significantly associated with a favorable GQOL in PCGs. The mean total GQOL score did not differ significantly between the PCGs and NORM groups, though subanalyses revealed significantly more favorable mean score of the relational domain in PCGs compared to NORM.

Conclusions

GQOL in PCGs of cancer patients in palliative phase staying at home was as good as that of the NORM. For PCGs not employed or caring for patients with a short curative phase, getting some recreation could be of importance for improvement of GQOL.

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Acknowledgement

This project is funded by a research career grant to Ellen Karine Grov from Buskerud University College, Norway, Grant # 24013.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Buskerud University College, Institute of Health, Drammen, Norway

    Ellen Karine Grov

  2. Department of Clinical Cancer Research, Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet Trust, Oslo, Norway

    Ellen Karine Grov, Alv A. Dahl & Sophie D. Fosså

  3. University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Sophie D. Fosså

  4. Faculty of Medicine, The Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Astrid K. Wahl

  5. Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Torbjørn Moum

Authors
  1. Ellen Karine Grov
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  2. Alv A. Dahl
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  3. Sophie D. Fosså
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  4. Astrid K. Wahl
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  5. Torbjørn Moum
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Correspondence to Ellen Karine Grov.

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Grov, E.K., Dahl, A.A., Fosså, S.D. et al. Global quality of life in primary caregivers of patients with cancer in palliative phase staying at home. Support Care Cancer 14, 943–951 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-006-0026-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-006-0026-9

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