Background: Sleep is an important issue for cancer patients and caregivers and poor sleep quality may have deleterious effects on health. This study will examine the correlation between sleep quality and quality of life of breast cancer caregivers.
Method: A cross-sectional and correlational design was used to explore the relationship between sleep quality and the quality of life of caregivers. Sixty-one participants were identified by invasive early breast cancer patients, who were diagnosed within the period of 18-month period, as their primary caregivers. The World Health Organization Questionnaire on Quality of Life: BREF-Taiwan version (WHOQOL-BREF-TAIWAN) and the Chinese Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (CPSQI) were used to measure the quality of life and sleep quality of caregivers, respectively.
Result: Eighty-nine percent of caregivers from this study reported possible sleep difficulties. The scores of CPSQI scores were negatively correlated with the score of every domain of the WHOQOL-BREF-TAIWAN.
Discussion: The results suggest that sleep quality may have an impact on several aspects of the quality of life of caregivers. Understanding the correlation between sleep quality and the quality of life of caregivers may assist health professionals in enhancing the sleep quality of caregivers and their ability to care for patients and themselves.
(c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.