Lian L, Zheng M, He R, Lin J, Chen W, Pei Z, Yao X. Analysing the influencing factors on caregivers' burden among amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients in China: a cross-sectional study based on data mining.
BMJ Open 2022;
12:e066402. [PMID:
36130747 PMCID:
PMC9494583 DOI:
10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066402]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
There is significant burden on caregivers of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, only a few studies have focused on caregivers, and traditional research methods have obvious shortcomings in dealing with multiple influencing factors. This study was designed to explore influencing factors on caregiver burden among ALS patients and their caregivers from a new perspective.
DESIGN
Cross-sectional study.
SETTING
The data were collected at an affiliated hospital in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
PARTICIPANTS
Fifty-seven pairs of patients with ALS and their caregivers were investigated by standardised questionnaires.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
This study primarily assessed the influencing factor of caregiver burden including age, gender, education level, economic status, anxiety, depression, social support, fatigue, sleep quality and stage of disease through data mining. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 24.0, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model was established by Python 3.8.1 to minimise the effect of multicollinearity.
RESULTS
According to LASSO regression model, we found 10 variables had weights. Among them, Milano-Torinos (MITOS) stage (0-1) had the highest weight (-12.235), followed by younger age group (-3.198), lower-educated group (2.136), fatigue (1.687) and social support (-0.455). Variables including sleep quality, anxiety, depression and sex (male) had moderate weights in this model. Economic status (common), economic status (better), household (city), household (village), educational level (high), sex (female), age (older) and MITOS stage (2-4) had a weight of zero.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrates that the severity of ALS patients is the most influencing factor in caregiver burden. Caregivers of ALS patients may suffer less from caregiver burden when the patients are less severe, and the caregivers are younger. Low educational status could increase caregiver burden. Caregiver burden is positively correlated with the degree of fatigue and negatively correlated with social support. Hopefully, more attention should be paid to caregivers of ALS, and effective interventions can be developed to relieve this burden.
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