Life quality and social support in family caregivers in cancer treatment

Abstract

Introduction: the cancer has enormous physical, social, emotional and economic impact on the life of the person who suffers, like the person who cares. The role assumed by the family caregiver for a cancer affects their quality of life and social support with which counts. Objective: to determine the relationship between quality of life and perceived social support in family caregivers in cancer treatment. Methods: cross sectional study. Involved 75 family caregivers who attended and radiation oncology unit at the Hospital Universitario de Santander. Instruments Quality of Life Familiar Version and Perceived Social Support Chronic Disease were used. The analysis used the coefficient of linear Pearson correlation and rule Dalhenius stratification and Hodges. Results: Most family caregivers are women of low socioeconomic status, lower educational level than the basic, home occupation, with a median of 18 hours day assistance and care, with an average perception of their quality of life 41.3 % average perception of social support 36.5%. A positive and moderate correlation with r = 0.493 and statistically significant p <0.005 identified. Conclusions: It requires addressing the social support family caregivers of people with cancer to enhance their quality of life.