The relationship between family burden, environment, and quality of life among caregivers of older adults with chronic diseases: a cross-sectional study

Aim: The number of older adults with chronic diseases is growing. When caring for and accompanying their family members, the quality of life (QoL) of elderly family caregivers is highly affected. The aim is to find the relationship between family burden, family environment, and QoL among caregivers of older adults with chronic diseases. Methods: The study involved 409 caregivers in Samarinda (East Kalimantan), Makassar, and Gowa (South Sulawesi), Indonesia. It analyzed family burden, family environment, and QoL using descriptive, Spearman, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, and hierarchy regression analysis using SPSS version 21. Results: Family burden was negatively associated with QoL physical domain (r r =-0.05, p = 0.26), psychological domain (r r = 0.05, p = 0.31), and social domain (r r =-0.02, p = 0.55), Family burden was positively associated with QoL environmental domain (r r =-0.09, p = 0.05). Family environment was positively associated with QoL physical domain (r r =-0.24, p = 0.00), psychological domain (r r = 0.39, p = 0.00), social domain (r r = 0.30, p = 0.00), and environmental domain (r r = 0.41, p = 0.00). Hierarchy regression analysis shows that family environment has a tremendous positive correlation on QoL physical domain ((3 (3 = 0.21, p = 0.00), psychological domain ((3 (3 = 0.31, p = 0.00), social domain ((3 (3 = 0.23, p = 0.00), and environmental domain ((3 (3 = 0.33, p = 0.00). Conclusion: Family burden and family environment are crucial factors in the QoL of caregivers of older adults with chronic diseases. Family and public health nurses should develop interventions to relieve the burden and enhance family environments, ultimately improving caregiver's QoL.