The relationship between the caregiver burden and quality of life in parents of Turkish children with anorectal malformation or Hirschsprung's disease.

Background: Anorectal malformation (ARM) or Hirschsprung's disease (HD) in children impact on parents' burden of care and quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between caregiver burden and QoL in parents of children with ARM or HD.

Design And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 51 parents who completed the Zarit Burden Inventory (ZBI) and World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-Short Form Turkish Version (WHOQOL-BREF-TR).

Results: The mean (±SD) ZBI score was 33.6 (±12.7), and 47.1% of parents (n = 24) perceived their caregiver burden as mild, 31.4% (n = 16) as moderate, and 3.9% (n = 2) as severe. According to the multivariate linear regression, associated anomalies (β = 5.912), family income (β = -6.007), stoma care (β = 8.287), and diagnosis were identified to be significant determinants of caregiver burden. A negative, moderate, and significant relationship was identified between the ZBI scores and the physical domain (r = -0.417, p < .01), psychological domain (r = -0.421, p < .01), social relations domain (r = -0.398, p < .01), and environmental domain (r = -0.495, p < .01) scores of the WHOQOL-BREF-TR.

Conclusions: The mothers perceived their caregiver burden as mild. However, a significant number of parents suffer from moderate to heavy caregiver burden. An increase in the caregiver burden of parents reduces their quality of life.

Practice Implications: Heightened awareness of the potential for caregiver burden and its association with quality of life among parents of children with ARM and HD may contribute to improved.