Factors associated with symptoms of physical and emotional burden in informal caregivers of the elderly
Leandro Corrêa Figueiredo, Gustavo Carrijo Barbosa, Diana Quirino Monteiro, Gabriela Martins, Adrielli Fernanda de Oliveira e Silva, Luana Flávia da Silva Talmelli, Tatiana de Oliveira Sato, Aline Cristina Martins Gratão
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: to analyze the personal and work-related burden factors associated with physical and emotional symptoms of informal caregivers of the elderly. METHODS: cross-sectional study conducted with 121 informal caregivers and 121 seniors who received care, assessed individually for the risk of: physical overload, musculoskeletal symptoms, Self-Reporting Questionnaire, effort perception, and Katz index. RESULTS: a greater perception of effort raises up to 3.3 times the chances of presenting symptoms of pain in the spine region (p=0.01), and lower functional capacity of the elderly increases up to 1.3 times the chances of presenting pain symptoms in the spine region (p=0.02). The symptoms of emotional overload were associated with the caregiver's low income (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: the perception of effort, dependence of the elderly, caregiver's age, and symptoms of emotional overload are involved with caregivers' symptoms of physical overload, and low income, with emotional overload.