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Mediating effect of social support on the relationships between caregiver burden and quality of life in family caregivers of people with dementia: a cross-sectional study in Rural China
Ying Hu, Xiajun Guo, Hui You, Li Liu, Yao Wang. BMC Nursing, 2025-01-10
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The family caregivers of PwD exhibited a fair QoL, with a score of 29.01 ± 4.059. Pearson's correlations revealed the negative correlation of caregiver burden with social support and QoL and the positive correlation between social support and the QoL of family caregivers. The results suggest the mediating role of social support between caregiver burden and the QoL. The QoL of family caregivers of PwD in rural China is suboptimal and indirectly influenced by the caregiving burden through the mediating effect of social support. Strengthening social support networks, both formal and informal, is essential to reducing caregiver burden and improving the QoL of family caregivers of PwD.
Key findings
- The family caregivers of PwD exhibited a fair QoL, with a score of 29.01 ± 4.059.
- Pearson's correlations revealed the negative correlation of caregiver burden with social support and QoL and the positive correlation between social support and the QoL of family caregivers.
- The results suggest the mediating role of social support between caregiver burden and the QoL.
- The QoL of family caregivers of PwD in rural China is suboptimal and indirectly influenced by the caregiving burden through the mediating effect of social support.
- Strengthening social support networks, both formal and informal, is essential to reducing caregiver burden and improving the QoL of family caregivers of PwD.
Why it matters
This cross-sectional study in rural China found that caregiver burden was negatively correlated with social support and quality of life, and that social support mediated the relationship between caregiver burden and quality of life. The findings concern caregiver support and do not address treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants150
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (BMC Nursing) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | BMC Nursing: journal h-index 100 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 150 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 21 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 7.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 21.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 21 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Yao Wang: h-index 17 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Central South University: institution h-index 699 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39794759) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Hu, Y., Guo, X., You, H., Liu, L., & Wang, Y. (2025). Mediating effect of social support on the relationships between caregiver burden and quality of life in family caregivers of people with dementia: a cross-sectional study in Rural China. BMC Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02671-9
Vancouver
Hu Y, Guo X, You H, Liu L, Wang Y. Mediating effect of social support on the relationships between caregiver burden and quality of life in family caregivers of people with dementia: a cross-sectional study in Rural China. BMC Nursing. 2025. doi:10.1186/s12912-024-02671-9. PMID: 39794759.
BibTeX
@article{hu2025-39794759,
author = {Hu, Ying and Guo, Xiajun and You, Hui and Liu, Li and Wang, Yao},
title = {{Mediating effect of social support on the relationships between caregiver burden and quality of life in family caregivers of people with dementia: a cross-sectional study in Rural China}},
journal = {BMC Nursing},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1186/s12912-024-02671-9},
pmid = {39794759},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02671-9}
}
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