Relationship between caregiver role adoption, care duration, and burden among female caregivers of individuals with chronic illnesses.

Abstract

<h4>Objective</h4>To describe and correlate sociodemographic and caregiving characteristics, caregiving overload and general role adoption and medication use among family caregivers of individuals with Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases (NCDs).<h4>Methods</h4>Quantitative, descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study conducted between 2021 and 2022 in Bogotá (Colombia). A total of 321 female family caregivers of individuals with non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) participated. Validated instruments were applied to assess caregiver and care recipient characteristics, caregiver burden, and adoption of both the general caregiving role and the role in medication management. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed.<h4>Results</h4>Caregivers provide care to elderly individuals with multiple chronic conditions and high dependency. They have achieved satisfactory adoption of the general caregiver role, showing an absence of overload. Correlations and regression models indicate that greater adoption of the general caregiving role, combined with less time spent in caregiving tasks, is associated with lower levels of caregiver burden.<h4>Conclusions</h4>The results suggest that the adoption of the general caregiving role and medication management may serve as useful clinical indicators for anticipating assessment enhances the understanding of concepts such as excessive caregiving burden and guides more specific and context-sensitive interventions.