Table 1.
Sample descriptive data
| Predictor Variables* | n (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||
| Age (n = 118) | M = 52.9 (SD = 13.6) years; range, 21-89 | |
| Sex (n = 118) | Male | 32 (27%) |
| Female | 86 (73%) | |
| Relationship to patient (n = 118) | Spouse/Partner | 96 (81%) |
| Other (eg, parent, child) | 22 (19%) | |
| Level of education (n = 116) | High school | 51 (44%) |
| Postsecondary education | 65 (56%) | |
| Employment (n = 116) | Before diagnosis | After diagnosis |
| Full-time | 41 (35%) | 21 (18%) |
| Part-time | 30 (26%) | 25 (22%) |
| Unemployed | 6 (5%) | 16 (14%) |
| Retired | 28 (24%) | 31 (27%) |
| Self-employed | 4 (3%) | 4 (3%) |
| Homemaker | 5 (4%) | 4 (3%) |
| Disability pension/stress Leave/unable to work | 2 (2%) | 6 (5%) |
| Carer's leave | 0 (0%) | 9 (8%) |
| Employment status changes (n = 115) | Stayed the same | 85 (74%) |
| Reduced hours or stopped | 30 (26%) | |
| Financial effect of diagnosis (n = 115) | No or slight effect | 69 (60%) |
| Significant effect | 46 (40%) | |
| Caring for anyone else in home (n = 117) | Yes | 18 (15%) |
| No | 99 (85%) | |
| Time since diagnosis (n = 116) | One month or less | 25 (22%) |
| 1–2 months | 50 (43%) | |
| More than 2 months | 41 (35%) | |
| Self-report measures | ||
| Needed to learn new skills (n = 117) | Yes | 43 (37%) |
| No | 74 (63%) | |
| Confidence in caring (n = 117) | Not confident at all | 1 (1%) |
| Between not confident and moderately confident | 4 (3%) | |
| Moderately confident | 33 (28%) | |
| Between moderately confident and highly confident | 25 (21%) | |
| Highly confident | 54 (46%) | |
| Preparedness to Care (n = 117) | Not prepared at all | 4 (3%) |
| Between not prepared and moderately prepared | 12 (10%) | |
| Moderately prepared | 41 (35%) | |
| Between moderately prepared and highly prepared | 29 (25%) | |
| Highly prepared | 31 (27%) | |
*Missing data accounts for variability in the numbers reported.