Experience of Burden of Care among Adult Caregivers of Elderly Persons in Oyo State, Nigeria

Oludoyinmola O. Ojifinni, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
Obioma C. Uchendu, University of Ibadan

Elderly persons are often unable to fully care for themselves due to their diminished physical capacity. This study aimed to determine the burden of care experienced by caregivers of elderly persons within the home setting. The Modified Short Version of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) was used to obtain information from 1,119 caregivers selected by multistage cluster sampling from two communities in Oyo State. The caregivers’ mean age was 38.6±8.7 years; 59.8% were females and 78.4% were married. Burden of care was reported by 74.0% of the caregivers with 28.2% reporting severe burden. Higher odds were reported among caregivers in the rural LGA (OR=10.09, 95%CI=5.99-17.01), with poor mental health status (OR=7.90, 95%CI=4.60-13.57) and caring for dependent elders (OR=2.74, 95%CI=1.68-4.47). Experience of burden of care was high among the caregivers assessed. To mitigate caregiver’s burden, a support system like introduction of medical and social geriatric centers within the community is required.