Socioeconomic Disparities in Caregiver Burden Among Families of Older Patients With Cancer

What are the socioeconomic disparities in caregiving burden, psychological distress, and economic burden faced by family caregivers of older patients with cancer?In this cross-sectional study of 6786 patient-caregiver dyads in China, lower socioeconomic status was associated with higher caregiving burden across domains of health problems, self-esteem, financial pressure, disrupted schedule, and lacking family support, as well as higher risks of depression and anxiety. Nearly one-third of caregivers spent more than their annual household income on patient expenses, with considerable disparities by socioeconomic status.Socioeconomic disparities can exacerbate multidimensional caregiver burden; policy interventions, targeted subsidies, workplace protections, and community support are needed to mitigate caregiving strain amid aging populations.

Corresponding Author: Wenqiang Wei, PhD, National Central Cancer Registry, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China (weiwq@cicams.ac.cn).

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