Liao R-D1, Lin P-S1,2,3, Hsu W-C4, Chen H-T5
1Chang Gung University, Master Degree Program in Healthcare Industry, College of Medicine, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, 2Chang Gung University, School of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan, 3Chang Gung University, Healthy Aging Research Center, Taoyuan, Taiwan, 4Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Dementia Division, Taoyuan, Taiwan, 5Fu Jen Catholic University, College of Medicine, Department of Nursing, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Background: With the number of people who are diagnosed with dementia increasing and shortage of formal care resources, primary family caregivers (PFCs) are usually taxed with huge burden and stress of care, and thus, may affect their health status.
Purpose: The purposes of this study are to compare the physical fitness between PFCs of older adults with dementia with the norm of same age and sex non-caregivers, and to compare the physical health and fitness of PFCs who taking care of the dementia with different severity of BPSD.
Methods: Fifty volunteered PFCs of older adults with dementia were recruited into this study. After signing the consent form, each subject filled out the questionnaires of basic data, NPI Caregiver Distress Scale(NPI-D), Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale(CES-D), the MOS 36-item Short Form Health Survey(SF-36), Functional Co-morbidity Index(FCI), and Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(CPSQI). Then, Physical Fitness Tests including body mass index(BMI), hand-grip strength, chair stand test, chair sit-and-reach test, open-eye one leg stand, and two-minute step test were assessed. One sample t test was used to test the difference of the caregivers' physical fitness with the norm of the same age and sex. The participants were grouped into mild BPSD(MBPSD) and moderate-severe BPSD(SBPSD) group according to their total NPI-12 score. Chi-square, independent t test, and ANCOVA were used to analyze and compare the differences of the physical health between two groups.
Results: The PFCs' average age was 69.4± 9.26 years, 64% were female. Compared with the norm of the same age and sex non-caregivers, PFCs had significantly better outcome in chair stand test(p=0.002) and open-eye one leg stand test(p 0.001). SBPSD group had significantly worse vitality(p=0.014), social functioning(p=0.016), mental health(p=0.002), MCS(p 0.001), the total sore of SF-36(p=0.025) and subjective sleep quality(p=0.007) than MBPSD group. Additionally, caregiver burden(p 0.001) and depression(p=0.042) were also more severe in SBPSD group.
Conclusion(s): Compared with non-caregivers of the same age and sex, PFCs have better lower extremity muscle strength and balance. Physical fitness is not different between the MBPSD and SBPSD groups, but PFCs in the SBPSD group have worse caregiver burden, depression, mental health, social functioning, vitality, quality of life and sleep quality than those in MBPSD.
Implications: PFCs of dementia showed better strength physically maybe due to frequent care work, however, worse mental burden and quality of life as the patients' BPSD getting severer. As a PT, more attention in caring can be given to improve the cardiopulmonary endurance and flexibility and especially the emotion and mental health of the PFCs.
Keywords: Family Primary Caregivers, Physical Fitness, Dementia
Funding acknowledgements: Ministry of Education (EMRPD1H0031 & EMRPD1H0391), Ministry of science and technology, Executive Yuan, Taiwan (MOST103-2410-H-182-019-MY2)
Purpose: The purposes of this study are to compare the physical fitness between PFCs of older adults with dementia with the norm of same age and sex non-caregivers, and to compare the physical health and fitness of PFCs who taking care of the dementia with different severity of BPSD.
Methods: Fifty volunteered PFCs of older adults with dementia were recruited into this study. After signing the consent form, each subject filled out the questionnaires of basic data, NPI Caregiver Distress Scale(NPI-D), Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale(CES-D), the MOS 36-item Short Form Health Survey(SF-36), Functional Co-morbidity Index(FCI), and Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(CPSQI). Then, Physical Fitness Tests including body mass index(BMI), hand-grip strength, chair stand test, chair sit-and-reach test, open-eye one leg stand, and two-minute step test were assessed. One sample t test was used to test the difference of the caregivers' physical fitness with the norm of the same age and sex. The participants were grouped into mild BPSD(MBPSD) and moderate-severe BPSD(SBPSD) group according to their total NPI-12 score. Chi-square, independent t test, and ANCOVA were used to analyze and compare the differences of the physical health between two groups.
Results: The PFCs' average age was 69.4± 9.26 years, 64% were female. Compared with the norm of the same age and sex non-caregivers, PFCs had significantly better outcome in chair stand test(p=0.002) and open-eye one leg stand test(p 0.001). SBPSD group had significantly worse vitality(p=0.014), social functioning(p=0.016), mental health(p=0.002), MCS(p 0.001), the total sore of SF-36(p=0.025) and subjective sleep quality(p=0.007) than MBPSD group. Additionally, caregiver burden(p 0.001) and depression(p=0.042) were also more severe in SBPSD group.
Conclusion(s): Compared with non-caregivers of the same age and sex, PFCs have better lower extremity muscle strength and balance. Physical fitness is not different between the MBPSD and SBPSD groups, but PFCs in the SBPSD group have worse caregiver burden, depression, mental health, social functioning, vitality, quality of life and sleep quality than those in MBPSD.
Implications: PFCs of dementia showed better strength physically maybe due to frequent care work, however, worse mental burden and quality of life as the patients' BPSD getting severer. As a PT, more attention in caring can be given to improve the cardiopulmonary endurance and flexibility and especially the emotion and mental health of the PFCs.
Keywords: Family Primary Caregivers, Physical Fitness, Dementia
Funding acknowledgements: Ministry of Education (EMRPD1H0031 & EMRPD1H0391), Ministry of science and technology, Executive Yuan, Taiwan (MOST103-2410-H-182-019-MY2)
Topic: Mental health; Older people; Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Chang Gung Medical Foundation
Ethics committee: IInstitutional Review Board
Ethics number: IRB No.: 201800485B0
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
