Sleep

Sleep quality and its determinants among family caregivers of patients with cancer in oncologic centers of Northwest Ethiopia: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

Tamene F, Mihiretie E, et al. • Journal of psychosomatic research • 2026

PubMed 41494505 DOI 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2025.112515

TL;DR

Poor sleep quality was reported among 68.9% of family caregivers of cancer patients in Northwest Ethiopia, with chronic illness, depression, anxiety, and poor social support identified as significant determinants.

Key Findings

Results

The majority of family caregivers of cancer patients experienced poor sleep quality.

Poor sleep quality was reported among 68.9% of caregivers.
412 eligible family caregivers were included out of 422 approached participants.
Study was conducted at oncologic centers in Northwest Ethiopia from August to October 2023.
Participants were enrolled using systematic random sampling.
Sleep quality was assessed using an institution-based, multicenter cross-sectional study design.

Results

The presence of chronic illness was significantly associated with poor sleep quality among family caregivers.

Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.18–4.03, P = 0.012.
Caregivers with a chronic illness had approximately twice the odds of poor sleep quality compared to those without.
This association was identified using a multivariable logistic regression model.

Results

Depression was the strongest determinant of poor sleep quality among family caregivers.

AOR = 3.40, 95% CI: 2.04–5.68, P < 0.001.
Caregivers with depression had more than three times the odds of experiencing poor sleep quality.
This was the largest effect size among all identified determinants.
Depression was identified through multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Results

Anxiety was significantly associated with poor sleep quality among family caregivers.

AOR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.29–3.99, P = 0.004.
Caregivers with anxiety had approximately twice the odds of poor sleep quality compared to those without anxiety.
Anxiety was identified as a significant determinant in the multivariable logistic regression model.

Results

Poor social support was significantly associated with poor sleep quality among family caregivers.

AOR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.04–4.06, P = 0.036.
Caregivers with poor social support had approximately twice the odds of poor sleep quality.
Social support was the fourth significant determinant identified in multivariable analysis.

Methods

A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify determinants of sleep quality among caregivers.

Variables with a p-value < 0.05 at a 95% Confidence Interval were defined as statistically significant.
Data entry was done using EpiData version 4.6.0 and analysis using SPSS version 26.
412 family caregivers of cancer patients at oncologic centers in Northwest Ethiopia were included.
Study period ran from August to October 2023.

What This Means

This research suggests that caring for a family member with cancer takes a significant toll on the sleep of caregivers in Northwest Ethiopia. In a study of 412 family caregivers at cancer treatment centers, nearly 7 out of 10 (68.9%) reported poor sleep quality. This finding highlights that the burden of cancer does not fall solely on patients — the people who care for them also suffer notable health consequences. The study identified four key factors linked to worse sleep: having a chronic illness themselves, experiencing depression, experiencing anxiety, and having limited social support. Among these, depression had the strongest association, with depressed caregivers being more than three times as likely to have poor sleep compared to non-depressed caregivers. Anxiety and chronic illness roughly doubled the odds of poor sleep, and having poor social support also approximately doubled those odds. This research suggests that healthcare systems caring for cancer patients should also pay attention to the mental and physical health of their caregivers. Screening caregivers for depression, anxiety, and social isolation — and connecting them to appropriate support — could be an important step toward improving their sleep and overall well-being. The findings are particularly relevant in resource-limited settings like Northwest Ethiopia, where formal caregiver support programs may be limited.

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Citation

Tamene F, Mihiretie E, Zeleke T, Tarekegn G, Moges T, Desalew A, et al.. (2026). Sleep quality and its determinants among family caregivers of patients with cancer in oncologic centers of Northwest Ethiopia: A multicenter cross-sectional study.. Journal of psychosomatic research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2025.112515

Key Findings

What This Means

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