Caregiver- and Care Recipient–Related Factors Linked to Pain in Family Caregivers of Persons Living With Dementia

Abstract

Background: Family caregivers of persons living with dementia (PLWD) often experience significant psychological, financial, and social stress, increasing their risk for both mental and physical health problems. Objective: This study examined factors associated with caregivers’ perceived pain in the context of dementia care. Methods: This was cross-sectional study using baseline data from a dyadic clinical trial evaluating a behavioral sleep intervention for PLWD and their family caregivers. A total of 148 caregivers were included in the analytic sample. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and hierarchical linear regression were used to identify caregiver- and care recipient-related factors associated with caregiver pain. Results: Most caregivers (84%) reported pain in the past week. In the final regression model, lower education, greater caregiver comorbidity, and poorer caregiver sleep quality independently predicted higher pain, explaining 30.6% of the variance and highlighting key caregiver health factors linked to pain.