Sleep quality and its impact on quality of life in the primary caregiver of patients with gastric cancer

Objective To investigate the sleep quality and its impact on quality of life in the primary caregivers of patients with gastric cancer, thereby providing guidance on the promotion of their sleep and psycho-physical function. Methods This was a convenient sampling study that enrolled 190 primary caregivers of patients with gastric cancer from two general hospitals in Xi′an, China. The sleep quality, quality of life, and baseline data were evaluated using Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), SF-36 health survey (SF-36). t test was used to compare the sleep quality between the caregivers and the general population. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted to explore the relationship between sleep quality and quality of life. Results The mean global PSQI score was (8.06±4.05); 43.9% of them had poor sleep (PSQI≥8). Compared to the general population, the global PSQI score and the scores of the six factors were higher (P<0.01) in this sample, indicating a poorer sleep quality, except for the factor of "use of sleep medication" . The global PSQI score was positively correlated with the score of BP (r=0.15, P=0.04). Compared with participants who had a good sleep (PSQI<8), those with a poor sleep score were lower on RP (t=2.30, P=0.02) and SF (t=2.12, P=0.04). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that sleep quality was only a factor of BP (β=0.15, t=2.04, P=0.04) rather than RP and SF, after controlling for age and gender. Conclusions The primary caregivers of patients with gastric cancer have poorer sleep quality, compared to the general population. Sleep quality is related to some dimensions of quality of life, such as BP, RP, and SF. Health care providers should pay attention to the sleep and quality of life of the caregivers, and deliver corresponding interventions if necessary. Key words: Gastric cancer; Sleep; Quality of life; Primary caregiver