Quality of Life vs. Supportive Care Needs for Oral Cancer Caregivers: Are They Related?

Abstract

Caregivers providing care for their family members with oral cancer usually endure the caregiving burden in silence, which affects their quality of life and necessitates the need for supportive care. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the quality of life (QOL) of oral cancer caregivers and their supportive care needs (SCN) in Malaysia. The Malaysian versions of the Caregiver Oncology Quality of Life Questionnaire (M-CarGOQoL) and the Comprehensive Needs Assessment Tool for Cancer Caregivers (M-CNAT-C) were self-administered by 56 family caregivers of oral cancer patients from five tertiary hospitals throughout Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak between October and December 2021. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were employed, and the significance level was set at p r(54) = 0.58, p 3 h/day) on the combined dependent variables (QOL and SCN), F(2, 53) = 5.006, p η2 = 0.16. QOL and caregiving duration accounted for a significant 43% of SCN, R2 = 0.43, adjusted R2 = 0.41, F(2, 53) = 20.32, p < 0.01. In conclusion, oral cancer caregivers with poorer QOL have higher SCN. It is recommended that oral cancer caregivers be recognized by healthcare providers in order to deliver holistic patient care.

Keywords

• oral cancer
• caregiver
• quality of life
• supportive care needs