Determinants of caregiver burden among informal caregivers looking after older adults with Alzheimer's disease in Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Caregiver burden in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a significant factor in the deterioration of caregivers’ physical and mental health. Moreover, increased caregiver burden has been associated with the decline in quality of life and the reduced quality of care for the care recipient. However, the level of caregiver burden perceived by informal caregivers of care recipients with AD can be varied with the impact of different factors related to the caregiver, care recipient, and caregiving process. Identifying factors associated with caregiver burden and exploring factors that account for variation in caregiver burden are vital to prevent adverse outcomes of caregiver burden affecting caregivers and care recipients. However, no Saudi studies have identified factors associated with caregiver burden. Additionally, no studies have explored factors that account for variation in caregiver burden in AD among informal caregivers in Arabic countries, specifically in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this dissertation was 1) to examine the association between particular factors (i.e., care recipient’s age and caregiver’s educational level) and caregiver burden and 2) to explore the ability of contextual variables (Socio-demographic factors of care recipients, Socio-demographic factors of caregivers, and caregiving-related factors), primary stressors (i.e., care recipient stage of Alzheimer’s), and caregiver’s well-being to account for variation in caregiver burden among a sample of Saudi Arabian informal caregivers caring for older adults with AD. Using the existing literature and the modified stress process model of Conde-Sala et al. (2010) as a conceptual framework, this non-experimental research project leveraged primary data collected via a survey of caregivers of older adults with Alzheimer’s in Saudi Arabia. The sample included 182 individuals who completed self-reported online surveys distributed by the Saudi Alzheimer’s Disease Association. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 28.0.1. Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient (r), Point biserial correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis were used to answer the research questions. Caregivers were more likely to experience a higher burden with older male care recipients with severe AD who had fewer years of formal education. Older female caregivers who were married, lived with the care recipient, daughter, had fewer years of formal education, were employed, had low monthly income, provided more hours of care per week, and were unsatisfied with the formal care for care recipients were more likely to experience a greater burden. All four sets of predictors related to contextual variables (care recipient socio-demographic factors, caregiver socio-demographic factors, caregiving-related factors), primary