Tingting Lin, Shuang Luo, Chufen Zhuang, Huiming Xiao, Xiaoyan Ding, Shuiling Li

State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Shuiling Li, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐sen University, No. 7 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510060, People’s Republic of China, Email 531813566@qq.com

Purpose: To evaluate the caregiver burden and its associated factors among patients receiving anti-VEGF intravitreal injections for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a tertiary hospital in Guangzhou, China.
Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 88 patients who received intravitreal anti-VEGF injections and their primary caregivers. Patients completed the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale, while caregivers completed the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). One-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation analysis were conducted to assess the associations between patient function, caregiver burden, and related sociodemographic factors.
Results: The mean ADL score of patients was 18.99 ± 8.34, while the mean caregiver burden score was 18.22 ± 18.04. A significant positive correlation was found between the patient’s ADL score and caregiver burden (r = 0.405, p < 0.01). Caregivers who were employed part-time or not cohabiting with patients reported significantly higher burden scores (p = 0.034 and p = 0.03, respectively). Additionally, the caregiver burden among DR patients was higher than among AMD patients (p = 0.026).
Conclusion: Significant caregiver burden exists among those assisting patients receiving intravitreal injections, especially for DR patients and those with reduced ADL function. Caregiver availability and living arrangements should be considered in the design of follow-up schedules to improve treatment adherence and outcomes.

Keywords: intravitreal injection, caregiver burden, anti-VEGF, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, ophthalmic care