Impact of Parkinson's Disease on Caregiver Quality of Life in Japan

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) adversely affects the quality of life (QoL) of not only patients but also their caregivers. OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors that most impact the QoL of family caregivers of patients with PD in a large Japanese population using data from the Japanese Quality‐of‐Life Survey of Parkinson's Disease (JAQPAD) study. METHODS: Questionnaires, including the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire‐Carer (PDQ‐Carer), were distributed to patients and their caregivers. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed with the PDQ‐Carer Summary Index (SI) score as the dependent variable to determine the factors that impact caregiver QoL. RESULTS: Overall, 1,346 caregivers were included in the analysis. Female sex, unemployment, caring for a patient with a high‐level need for nursing care, and a high Nonmotor Symptoms Questionnaire score were factors with a significant negative impact on caregiver QoL. CONCLUSION: Results from this study identified several factors that affect caregiver QoL in Japan.