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Gender Differences in Caregiver Burden with Ventilator-Dependent Patients

摘要


Introduction: Ventilator-dependent patients require skillful and extraneous care during daily tasks, and this can elevate the stress level and increase the burden of caregivers. This study examined the gender-related differences in caregivers' burden caused by caring for ventilator-dependent patients. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on caregivers of ventilator-dependent patients in southern Taiwan. A survey was conducted that included basic demographic information on the patients and caregivers, and used the Burden Assessment Scale (BAS) scores for 4 domains, comprising a total of 21 questions (physical burden, n=5; psychological burden, n=6; social burden, n=6; financial burden, n=4). Results: A total of 128 caregivers of both genders, aged 50.8±12.8 years, were recruited (men: n=59; women: n=69). Most of these caregivers were children of the patient or the spouse of the patient (83.1% for men and 78.3% for women), and received no social welfare. Female caregivers exhibited significantly higher BAS scores than did male caregivers. The higher physiological burden (P<.016) for women was attributed to lack of sleep and torso pain, whereas the higher psychological burden (P<.021) was attributed to loss of appetite and fear of the patient's disease deteriorating. The higher social burden (P<.041) was due to their being unable to handle household chores and being forced to change personal plans. Conclusion: The results revealed that female caregivers of ventilator-dependent patients encountered a greater burden than men, including physiological, psychological, and social burdens, yet the financial burden was similar.

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