Promoting Self-Care Behaviours Among Cancer Caregivers

Abstract

Caregivers play an integral role in the cancer care system in Canada as they provide unpaid care and support for millions of adults living with and beyond cancer. Although caregiving can be a positive experience for some, assuming a caregiving role can be detrimental to caregivers’ own physical and mental health. Research over the past decade has highlighted the negative impacts of caregiving and called for more efforts focused on improving caregivers’ wellbeing. Most interventions targeting caregivers are largely designed to support them in providing care, with little emphasis placed on specifically promoting self-care behaviours. To address this gap, we designed a brief 4-week self-determination theory-based intervention to improve two self-care behaviours (i.e., physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption) among cancer caregivers. The primary objective of the mixed-methods research presented in this thesis was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Exploratory objectives included understanding participants’ experiences within the intervention. The single-arm intervention was delivered via four weekly video calls to 13 caregivers (mean age=57.6 [15.4 years]) across Canada. The enrollment rate was 62% and the retention, adherence, and fidelity rates ranged from 90 to 99%. The intervention was generally deemed acceptable by participants; however, modifications such as adding psychological support were suggested. Participants’ experiences participating in the intervention were captured within three themes: (1) (Re)prioritizing self-care behaviours; (2) Finding support for self-care behaviours within the caregiving context; and, (3) Becoming a better caregiver through self-care behaviours. Although promising, modifications to the intervention methods are needed to improve enrolment and better meet caregivers’ needs. This study highlights the importance of self-care behaviours for caregivers and provides valuable information on how to foster these behaviours among this population.