Sobrecarga e qualidade de vida nos cuidadores familiares de pacientes em hemodiálise submetidos a um programa de exercícios

Abstract

Introduction: The complications of chronic kidney disease and the dialysis process itself are conditions that increase the level of dependence in these patients and may generate greater overload in their caregivers. Objective: Compare the burden, quality of life, anxiety and depression levels of family caregivers of dependent hemodialysis patients submitted to an exercise program with the caregivers of patients undergoing usual hemodialysis treatment without exercise. Methods: We studied family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis at the Pró-Renal-Barbacena-MG Clinic who regularly participated in an exercise program during hemodialysis sessions and family caregivers of patients at the RenalClin-São João Del Rey-MG Clinic receiving hemodialysis treatment usual. Initially, 60 patients were recruited at each clinic to assess the degree of dependence by the Lawton and Brody scale. When they were classified as dependents, 30 patients were randomly selected at each clinic and their family caregivers were evaluated. Caregivers were submitted to an interview to assess the overload in caregivers (CB scale), quality of life and levels of anxiety and depression. The project was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of FHEMIG-MG (CAEE no 62917516.7.0000.5119). Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation or median (interquartile range), where appropriate. Results: The global score [1.2 (0.2) vs. 1.9 (0.7)] and all dimensions of the CBS were significantly lower in caregivers from the exercise group in relation to those in the usual treatment group (p<0.05), except for the emotional involvement dimension. When compared to caregivers from the usual treatment group, those from the exercise group exhibited higher scores in the quality of life questionnaire for the domains physical functioning [100.0 (11.3) vs. 85.0 (30.0)], role physical [100.0 (31.3) vs. 62.5 (75.0)], pain [72.0 (32.0) vs. 61.5 (41.3)], general health (77.3 ± 16.9 vs. 63.9 ± 19.0), vitality (75.4 ± 15.1 vs. 58.5 ± 23.0), social functioning [100.0 (25.0) vs. 62.5 (37.5)], role emotional [100.0 (33.3) vs. 33.3 (100.0)] and mental health [80.0 (26.0) vs. 66.0 (41.0)], respectively, in addition to lower anxiety and depression levels (p<0.05). Conclusion: The family caregivers of hemodialysis patients submitted to an exercise program showed less caregiver burden, better quality of life and lower levels of anxiety and depression when compared to caregivers from the usual treatment group.