Prevalence and correlates for stress among caregivers for chronically ill patients at Ndola teaching hospital

Abstract

Background: Among the factors that contribute to stress is poor social support systems and age. Stress causes the lowering of immunity and predisposes individuals to infections. This accounts for the general malaise the caregivers present with whilst looking after patents in the hospital. “Stress occurs when the demands are appraised as exceeding a person’s resources to cope”. The objectives of the study were to find the prevalence and correlates for stress among caregivers at Ndola Teaching Hospital. Methodology: This was a cross sectional study and was done at Ndola Teaching Hospital in Ndola on the Copperbelt province of Zambia using a standardized questionnaire. Results: The study enrolled 197 participants. The overall prevalence of stress was 67.52% which was133 participants. The factor associated with stress was poor family support (51.8%) and age (67.5%) among the correlates. Discussion: The study has demonstrated that stress is a major problem among caregivers at Ndola Teaching Hospital. Those who had a poor family support system were more likely to suffer from stress and further complained of malaise.