Influence factors on Care Burden among Spouses of Young Women with Breast Cancer

Abstract

This study was undertaken to identify factors influencing care burden among spouses of young women afflicted with breast cancer. Totally, 130 spouses of young women with breast cancer, who were hospitalized or visited one of the three general hospitals in B city, were enrolled for the study. Data was collected between January 3 to March 31, 2016. The mean, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression were analyzed by applying the SPSS/WIN 18.0 program. Social support had the greatest impact on care burden (β=-0.41, p〈0.001), followed by marital intimacy (β=-0.26, p=0.001), age (β=­0.18, p=0.009) and perceived economic status (β=-0.14, p=0.039). The explanatory power was determined to be 42% (F=24.41, p〈0.001). Our findings indicate the necessity to develop social support programs that help reduce the care burden of spouses of young women afflicted with breast cancer. Moreover, there is a need to develop differentiated programs by considering marital intimacy, age and perceived economic status.