Factors influencing the health-related quality of life of Chinese advanced cancer patients and their spousal caregivers: a cross-sectional study

Table 1 The characteristics of patients and spousal caregivers

Characteristics	Patients (P, n=131)	Spousal caregivers (SC, n=131)
	n (%)	n (%)
Age (mean± SD), years	56.6±12.1 (ranging from 25 to 79)	56.0±11.3 (ranging from 29 to 80)
Gender
Male	82 (62.6)	49 (37.4)
Female	49 (37.4)	82 (62.6)
Level of education
Primary school or less	64 (48.9)	67 (51.1)
High school	49 (37.4)	49 (37.4)
University or above	18 (13.7)	15 (11.5)
Working status
Working	75 (57.3)	69 (52.7)
Not working	56 (42.7)	62 (47.3)
The average time since diagnosis/the duration in their role as a SC	13.7±23.0 months (ranging from 1 to 192 months)	<6 months:	67 (51.2)
		6 months ~2 years:	43 (32.8)
		>2 years ~5 years:	13 (9.9)
		>5 years:	8 (6.1)
Couples were informed about the disease^b
Partly informed	33 (25.2)	24 (18.3)
Well informed	98 (74.8)	107 (81.7)
Time spent by SC in caring for patients/day [in hours, n (%)]		<2 hours:	10 (7.6)
		2~4 hours:	14 (10.7)
		>4~6 hours:	25 (19.1)
		>6~8 hours:	21 (16.0)
		>8 hours:	61 (46.6)
Types of cancer^a	Digestive system cancer: 72 (55.0); Lung cancer: 35 (26.7);
	Urogenital system cancer: 19 (14.5); Others: 5 (3.8)
Dyad Characteristics^c
Duration of marriage (mean± SD), years	30.8±11.6 (ranging from 1–52)
Relationship with their partner before the diagnosis of the cancer	Very good Bad	115 (87.8) 0	Normal	16 (12.2)
Change in the relationship with their partner after the diagnosis of the cancer	Improved Getting worse	38 (29.0) 0	No change	93 (71.0)
Financial burden on the family due to the treatment of cancer	Serious	77 (58.8)	Normal	49 (37.4)
	Mild or None	5 (3.8)

SD standard deviation
^aAll of the patients had advanced cancer, were in stage III (n = 56, 42.7 %) or stage IV (n = 75, 57.3 %); and were receiving chemotherapy
^bWell informed: The patient fully understood his/her condition; or the SC was well informed about his/her spouse’s disease; Partly informed: The patient was informed about the diagnosis of cancer, but not about the severity of his/her condition; or the SC were partly informed about his/her spouse’s disease
^cThe data for the dyad characteristics were reported by the patients

ISSN: 1472-684X