Abstract
Introduction: Cancer caregiving is challenging and often associated with significant burden in family caregivers. Yet, the healthcare providers often overlook the needs of the caregivers. Local data on cancer caregiving is still lacking. In line with the increasing cancer cases worldwide, there is a need to examine factors influencing the caregiver burden, and to find ways to improve the quality of life of the caregivers.
 Objectives: The study aimed to determine the caregiver burden rate among the local family caregivers of cancer patients, and to examine the associations between the caregiver burden and their sociodemographic factors, clinical factors, levels of depression, religiosity, and religious coping patterns.
 Methods: 127 family caregivers of cancer patients in a government tertiary hospital in Sarawak, Malaysia were recruited cross-sectionally using non-random sampling method. The associations between the variables were examined through bivariate analyses (Chi-Square test), followed by multivariate analysis to determine the factor(s) that were significantly associated with the caregiver burden.
 Results: The caregiver burden rate among local cancer caregivers was 55.6%. Two factors remained significant after adjusted in multivariate analysis. Caregivers who were the offspring of cancer patients experienced significantly fewer burden than non-offspring caregivers (OR 0.41, CI 0.18 – 0.94, p = 0.035). Also, the caregiver depression was significantly associated with the caregiver burden (OR 4.26, CI 1.87 – 9.72, p = 0.001). There were no significant associations found between the religiosity and religious coping with the caregiver burden on multivariate level.
 Conclusion: Caregiver burden is common among family caregivers of cancer patients. Caregivers who are the children or grandchildren of cancer patients are less likely to experience caregiver burden, whereas caregivers who have probable depression are more likely to experience caregiver burden. Future studies should assess the effects of specific intervention strategies in helping these caregivers.
Highlights
Cancer caregiving is challenging and often associated with significant burden in family caregivers
It is well known that cancer causes significant physical and emotional impairments in its sufferers [3,4]. Cancer indirectly affects their significant others, many of whom are the primary caregivers [5,6]. Cancer patients and their caregivers are frequently exposed to the complications of the disease itself
Study Design and Setting This study was a cross-sectional study on the burden of the cancer caregivers; and its association with caregiver depression, religiosity, and religious coping styles
Summary
Cancer caregiving is challenging and often associated with significant burden in family caregivers. Objectives: The study aimed to determine the caregiver burden rate among the local family caregivers of cancer patients, and to examine the associations between the caregiver burden and their sociodemographic factors, clinical factors, levels of depression, religiosity, and religious coping patterns. In 2018, approximately 18 million new cases were diagnosed based on the Global Burden of Cancer study conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization. This number is postulated to increase to over 20 million by 2025, with the low and middle-income countries bearing most of the cancer burden [1]. Cancer patients and their caregivers are frequently exposed to the complications of the disease itself
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