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Employment Status and Work-Related Difficulties among Family Members of Terminally Ill Patients Compared with the General Population

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Affiliated Author(s)
도영록
Alternative Author(s)
Do, Young Rok
Journal Title
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev.
ISSN
1513-7368
Issued Date
2013
Abstract
Background: Although caregiving to patients with terminal illness is known to be a stressful burden
to family members, little attention has been focused on work-related problems. We aimed to investigate
employment status and work-related difficulties of family caregivers of terminal cancer patients, comparing
with the general population. Methods: Using structured questionnaires, we assessed family caregivers of
481 cancer patients determined by physicians to be terminally ill, from 11 university hospitals and the
National Cancer Center in Korea. Results: Among 381 family caregivers of terminal cancer patients
(response rate, 87.6%), 169 (43.9%) were not working before cancer diagnosis, but currently 233 (63.7%)
were not working. Compared with the general population (36.5%), the percentage of not working among
the family caregivers was higher (OR=2.39; 95%CI= 1.73-3.29). A major reason for not working was to
provide assistance to the patients (71.6%). 40.6% of those who continued working and 32.3% of those
who not working family members reported extreme fatigue. Caregivers of old age, those who were female,
those with a lower household income, and those caring for patients with a low performance status were not
working at a more significant rate. Conclusion: Family caregivers of terminal cancer patients suffer job loss
and severe work-related difficulties, probably due to caregiving itself and to fatigue. We need to develop
supportive programs to overcome the burden of caregivers of the terminally ill.
Key words: Terminal cancer patient - caregiver - employment status - work-related difficulty
Department
Dept. of Internal Medicine (내과학)
Publisher
School of Medicine
Citation
Seon Young Kim et al. (2013). Employment Status and Work-Related Difficulties among Family Members of Terminally Ill Patients Compared with the General Population. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev., 14(1), 373–379. doi: 10.7314/APJCP.2013.14.1.373
Type
Article
ISSN
1513-7368
DOI
10.7314/APJCP.2013.14.1.373
URI
https://kumel.medlib.dsmc.or.kr/handle/2015.oak/35124
Appears in Collections:
1. School of Medicine (의과대학) > Dept. of Internal Medicine (내과학)
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