SOCIOECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF CARE PROVISION AMONG FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN WITH THALASSEMIA: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF CAREGIVER BURDEN

Abstract

Thalassemia major is a chronic hereditary blood disease that obligates lifelong medical treatment, and imposes significant burden on family caregivers. This study was conducted to investigate the correlation between the socioeconomic status, social support, caregiver burden and the provision of care for a thalassemia major patient by his/her family in District Sargodha, Pakistan. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was used and data were obtained from 300 family caregivers using a structured questionnaire. Standardized and adapted instruments were used to evaluate economic status, social support, care burden and care provision. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression analysis and mediation analysis with Hayes' PROCESS Macro Model 4. were used for data analysis. Results showed strong positive correlations between economic status, social support and caregiver burden and care provision. Economic status and social supports strongly predicted care provision, with economic status being the stronger predictor. The causal roles of economic status and social support on the care provision were then tested for mediation by caregiver burden using mediation analysis; the results showed that the relationship between economic status and care provision and between social support and care provision were significantly mediated by the level of caregiver burden, suggesting that caregiver burden is an intervening factor between economic status and care provision and between social support and care provision. The study emphasizes that caregivers' experiences with thalassemia are not solely medical, but also economic and social, which includes social support. Increased financial support, caregiver help, and family-oriented health care strategies can help lower the caregiver burden and enhance care for people with thalassemia major.