Quality Of Life Of Caregivers Of Children With Cerebral Palsy In The Accra Metropolis

ABSTRACT

The consequences of living with a chronic condition such as Cerebral Palsy (CP) do not only affect the child but other members of the family. Using the Stress Process Model by Pearlin et al. (1990) as an organising framework, this study investigated the factors influencing the quality of life (QoL) of caregivers of children with CP. The role of social support in ameliorating the negative consequences of the stressors on QoL of caregivers of children with CP was also assessed. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design. Data was collected from 130 caregivers at 37 Military Hospital, Princess Marie-Louis Hospital and two Non-governmental agencies; Givers Never Lack Foundation and Sharecare Ghana. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression were the statistical tools used for data analysis. The findings revealed that caregivers of children with CP had a lower QoL. They also experienced higher amount of burden and moderate levels of depression, anxiety and stress. The primary and secondary stressors were found to negatively correlate with QoL of caregivers. Secondary Stressors were found to partially mediate the relationship between caregivers’ burden and QoL. There was also a moderating effect of social support on the relationship between the primary stressor and QoL with social support accounting for 44.6% of the variance in QoL. Demographic characteristics of the caregivers collectively explained an insignificant 3.7% of the variance in caregivers’ QoL. These findings have implications for nursing practice and informal caregiving.