Background: Congenital auricular malformations, including microtia, result in a significant caregiving burden for parents or guardians. This study examines the caregiving burden, social support, and coping strategies among primary caregivers of children with congenital ear malformations and explores the factors influencing this burden. Objective: This study aimed to assess the level of caregiving burden, social support, and coping strategies among primary caregivers of children with congenital ear malformations, and to examine the mediating roles of social support and coping strategies in the associations between sociodemographic factors and caregiver burden. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Results: A total of 126 children with congenital ear malformations and their primary caregivers were selected. The mean ZBI score was 53.02±19.94, indicating a moderate caregiving burden. Univariate analysis showed significant associations between caregiver burden and female gender, unmarried status, low education, low income, and prolonged treatment duration (all P <0.05). ZBI was negatively correlated with social support ( r =–0.399, P <0.001), and positive coping ( r =–0.569, P <0.01), and strongly positively correlated with negative coping ( r =0.964, P <0.01). Mediation analyses revealed that negative coping significantly mediated the relationship between low income and higher caregiver burden, whereas social support mediated the association between unmarried status and burden. Conclusion: Caregivers of children with congenital ear malformations experience a significant caregiving burden. Targeted interventions addressing negative coping strategies and enhancing social support are critical for reducing the caregiving burden.
Qu et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: