Insomnia Burden among Informal Caregivers of Hospitalized Lung Cancer Patients and Its Influencing Factors

Objective

This study aimed to reveal the insomnia burden and relevant influencing factors among informal caregivers (ICs) of hospitalized patients with lung cancer.

Methods

A cross-sectional study on ICs of hospitalized patients with lung cancer was conducted from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021. ICs’ burden was assessed using the Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Linear and logistic regression models were used to identify the influencing factors.

Results

Among 289 ICs of hospitalized patients with lung cancer, 83 (28.72%), 53 (18.34%), and 14 (4.84%) ICs experienced mild, moderate, and severe insomnia, respectively. The scores concerning self-esteem, lack of family support, financial problems, disturbed schedule, and health problems were 4.32 ± 0.53, 2.24 ± 0.79, 2.84 ± 1.14, 3.63 ± 0.77, and 2.44 ± 0.95, respectively. ICs with higher Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADLS) scores were associated with a lower risk of insomnia, with an odd ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.940 (0.898–0.983). Among the ICs, female gender (OR = 2.597), alcohol consumption (OR = 3.745), underlying medical conditions (OR = 11.765), long-term caregiving experience (OR = 37.037), and higher monthly expenses (OR = 5.714) were associated with a high risk of insomnia.

Conclusion

Of the hospitalized patients with lung cancer, 51.9% experienced insomnia. Patients’ ADL, ICs gender, alcohol consumption, underlying medical conditions, caregiving duration, and monthly expenses were influencing factors. Therefore, prompt screening and early intervention for ICs of patients with lung cancer is necessary.