Caregiver Burden and Nonachievement of Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Among Family Caregivers of Cardiovascular Disease Patients

Purpose. To determine whether caregiver burdens are associated with lifestyle behaviors 1 year following the hospitalization of a family member with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Design. Prospective follow-up study of National Heart Lung and Blood Institute sponsored Family Intervention Trial for Heart Health participants. Setting. Hospital-based recruitment/baseline visit with 1-year follow-up. Subjects. Family members of hospitalized CVD patients (N = 423; 67% female; 36% racial/ethnic minority; mean age 49 years). Measures. Systematic evaluation at 1 year to determine heart-healthy diet (defined as <10% kcal from saturated fat; Block 98 Food Frequency Questionnaire) and physical activity (defined as >= 4 d/wk; Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey) behaviors and caregiver burdens (five domains: employment, financial, physical social, and time; Caregiver Strain Questionnaire). Analysis. Logistic regression adjusted for covariates. Results. Heart-healthy diet was less frequent among caregivers citing feeling overwhelmed (odds ratio [OR] = .50; 95% confidence interval [CI] = .26-.97), sleep disturbance (OR = .51; 95% CI = .27-.96), financial strain (OR = .41; 95% CI = .20-.86), upsetting behavior (OR = .48; 95% CI = .25-.92), and/or time demands (OR = .47; 95% CI = .26-.85) as burdens. Physical activity was less frequent among caregivers reporting financial strain (OR = .32; 95% CI = .13-.81) or upsetting patient behavior (OR = .33; 95% CI = .15-.76) as burdens. The most commonly cited caregiver burdens included changes in personal plans (39%), time demands (38%), and sleep disturbance (30%). Conclusion. Caregiver burdens were associated with nonachievement of heart-healthy diet and physical activity behaviors among family caregivers I year after patient discharge. When developing heart-health promotion interventions, caregiver burden should be considered as a possible barrier to prevention among family members of CVD patients. (Am J Health Promot 2012;27[2]:84-89.)