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Trajectories of fatigue in family caregivers of patients undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer
Author(s) -
Fletcher Barbara A. Swore,
Schumacher Karen L.,
Dodd Marylin,
Paul Steven M.,
Cooper Bruce A.,
Lee Kathryn,
West Claudia,
Aouizerat Bradley E.,
Swift Patrick S.,
Wara William,
Miaskowski Christine
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/nur.20312
Subject(s) - prostate cancer , medicine , radiation therapy , cancer , oncology , physical therapy
Predictors of and trajectories for evening and morning fatigue were evaluated in family caregivers of oncology patients using hierarchical linear modeling. Evening fatigue trajectory fit a quadratic model. Predictors included baseline sleep disturbances in family caregivers and baseline evening fatigue in patients. Morning fatigue trajectory fit a linear model. Predictors were baseline trait anxiety, levels of perceived family support, and baseline morning fatigue in patients. Findings suggest considerable inter‐individual variability in the trajectories of evening and morning fatigue. Evaluating family caregivers for sleep disturbance, anxiety, and poor family support, as well as high levels of patient fatigue, could identify those family caregivers at highest risk for sustained fatigue trajectories. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 32:125–139, 2009