Relationship between care burden and social support among family caregivers of disabled elders in Beijing urban area

Abstract

Objective To explore the relationship between care burden and social support among family caregivers of disabled elders in Beijing urban area. Methods A cross-sectional survey based on convenience sampling was conducted among 744 family caregivers in Dongcheng District in Beijing urban area. All subjects were interviewed by the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) and general social and demographical material lists. And then we analyzed the correlation between social support and care burden. Results The mean scores of ZBT and SSRS were (40.3±15.2) and (31.1±6.9) respectively. And a negative correlation existed between the level of caregiver burden and total social support. The care burden of disability elders was negatively associated with objective support, subjective support and social support availability (P<0.05). Conclusions There is a close relationship between care burden and social support among family caregivers of disabled elders. The more objective support, subjective support and social support availability the caregivers acquire, the less burden they bear. Key words: Aged; Family caregivers; Care burden; Social support