Care-related burden and quality of life among informal caregivers for older adults: a cross-sectional study

The World Health Organization projects that by 2050, the global population aged 60 and over will double, presenting substantial challenges for societies worldwide. This study aims to assess care-related burden and quality of life among informal caregivers providing care to older adults in Kazakhstan. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 informal caregivers across four cities in Kazakhstan. Caregivers of older adults completed a paper-based survey using the iMTA Valuation of Informal Care Questionnaire (iVICQ), which included questions related with caregiving situation, perceived caregiving burden, and quality of life. The analysis revealed that 15.3% of informal caregivers experienced a significant care-related burden (Caregiver Strain Index plus, CSI+). Mean scores for the CarerQol-7D and CarerQol-VAS were 87.2 (SD 49.5) and 8.1 (SD 1.9), respectively. Caregivers indicated problems in relationships with care recipients, physical health, daily activities, and financial strain. Still, the vast majority of caregivers (90%) derived fulfillment from providing care. The principal determinants both quality of life and caregiving burden among informal caregivers of older adults were identified as the health status of both caregivers and care recipients, along with the caregivers’ Kazakh ethnicity. Additionally, caregiving burden was significantly associated with the caregiver’s female gender and the total number of hours dedicated to caregiving tasks. Our findings highlight the need to assess care-related burden and quality of life among caregivers of older adults. To improve healthcare efficiency and reduce caregiver health risks, these assessments should be integrated into routine care.