Care-Related Quality of Life of Caregivers for Patients With Low Vision and Blindness: A Cross-Sectional Study

Healthcare systems typically focus on patient care, often overlooking the substantial challenges faced by informal caregivers, particularly those caring for individuals with severe or chronic conditions. This study explores the relationships between care-related quality of life (CarerQol), self-rated caregiver burden, and sense of coherence (SOC), identifying potential predictors that influence CarerQol for caregivers of patients with low vision and blindness.

This cross-sectional, descriptive study assessed caregiving burden using the CarerQol instrument, which measures seven dimensions of subjective burden (CarerQol-7D) and a happiness score (CarerQol-VAS). Data on demographic variables, self-rated caregiver burden, SOC, and the patients' Barthel Index (BI) were collected. Univariate analyses were performed for each determinant, followed by multivariate regression analysis that included age, gender, education level, and variables with p < 0.10.

A total of 128 caregivers participated; 57.0% were male, and 64.0% were under 50 years of age. The mean CarerQol-7D utility score was 77.15 ± 17.20, showing significant associations with the self-rated caregiver burden (r = -0.596, p < 0.001) and SOC (r = 0.435, p < 0.001). The mean CarerQol-VAS score was 6.49 ± 2.27, with significant correlations to self-rated caregiver burden (r = -0.501, p < 0.001), SOC (r = 0.428, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that higher education levels and family support were independently associated with higher CarerQol-7D utility scores. Additionally, self-rated caregiver burden was negatively correlated with both CarerQol-7D utility and CarerQol-VAS scores, while SOC was a positive predictor.

This study highlights that higher educational levels, family support, lower caregiver burden, and a stronger SOC are key predictors of better CarerQol. Healthcare professional should focus on implementing effective interventions, such as providing healthcare education, encouraging family support, reducing caregiver burden, and strengthening the SOC, to enhance CarerQol.