Predictors of quality of life in primary caregivers of patients with heart failure: A model of health literacy and caregiving burden

Abstract

Heart Failure (HF) is a chronic disease that impairs patients' ability to care for themselves. The accumulation of caregiving activities by caregivers to patients creates stress. This study intends to investigate the mediating role of caregiving burden in the relationship between health literacy and quality of life of caregivers. This study is a cross-sectional research conducted through a questionnaire survey. A convenience sampling method was employed to select 410 primary caregivers for the study. The overall mean score for quality of life for caregivers of patients with HF was (49.30±9.64). The results showed that the caregiving burden mediated the relationship between health literacy and quality of life, with the mediating effect accounting for 39.04 % (P < 0.05) of the total effect. Caregiving burden is a mediating variable in the relationship between health literacy and quality of life. Therefore, we offer some recommendations for healthcare professionals: ①We suggest that healthcare professionals provide relevant education and training to caregivers, as this can enhance their knowledge and skills in effectively managing the health condition of patients;②Healthcare professionals can also proactively assess the caregiver's burden level and design personalized support plans based on the assessment results.