Objective: This study was aimed at assessing caregiver burden (CB) and analyzing its relationship with patient’s sociodemographic, motor and non-motor severity as well as health-related quality of life (QoL).

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that imposes an important burden upon patients’ caregivers.

Methods: A monocenter, cross-sectional study involving 68 non-demented patients with PD and their caregivers. Patients data included socio-demographic, motor disabilities (using the part III (motor) Unified Parkinson’s disease Rating Scale (UPDRSm) and Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score), non-motor burden (using the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS)) and QoL (assessed by the Parkinson’s disease Questionnaire-39 items (PDQ-39). Patients’ main caregivers completed the Zarit Burden Inventory (ZBI).

Results: The mean age of patients was 69.6 (8.7) years; 66.2% were males; a majority (92.7%) were ethnic Chinese; 85.3% were unemployed and 82.4% had disease duration of more than 2 years. The median score for total UPDRSm was 23.5 (14.5, 35.0); total NMSS was 38.1 (22.0, 51.0) and summary index of PDQ was 4.3 (2.0, 6.8). Among the caregivers, a majority (75.0%) were females, 75% were the primary caregivers, almost 60% were spouses and 25% had domestic helpers support. The univariate analysis showed CB had a significant correlation with patients’ employment status (-12.87; p=0.013); ADL (-0.30; p=0.015) and QoL (1.82; p=0.001). However with multivariate analysis only employment status (-12.79; p=0.025) and QoL (1.49; p=0.05) showed significant correlation with CB.

Conclusions: Patients’ employment status and QoL independently affect CB in Parkinson’s disease in Singapore.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/patients-employment-status-and-quality-of-life-affect-caregivers-burden-in-parkinsons-disease-in-singapore/