Preparedness for caregiving among caregivers of breast cancer patients and its association with health literacy and caregiving competence

Family caregivers are considered the main providers of care and support for cancer patients, and need to be adequately prepared for this role. Preparedness for caregiving, a key component of family-centered care, means that family caregivers have the skills and knowledge to fulfill their responsibilities, including addressing patients' physical and emotional needs and coordinating care plans. This study investigated preparedness for caregiving and its association with health literacy and caregiving competence among family caregivers of breast cancer patients. This descriptive correlational cross-sectional study, represented the quantitative phase of a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. It involved 354 family caregivers of breast cancer patients attending selected oncology and radiotherapy centers in Tabriz, Iran, from March 2023 to January 2024. Data collection instruments included the Individual-Social Characteristics Questionnaire, Preparedness for Caregiving Scale (PCS), Health Literacy Caregiver Scale-Cancer (HLCS-C), and Caregiver Competence Scale (CCS). Data analysis employed descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (Pearson's correlation, independent t, one-way ANOVA, and general linear model (GLM)) using SPSS version 16. The means (SD) for preparedness for caregiving, health literacy, and caregiving competence were 21.62 ± 4.69 (range: 0-32), 142.97 ± 17.23 (range: 42-192), and 13.27 ± 1.87 (range: 4-16), respectively. GLM analysis revealed a significant positive association between preparedness and both health literacy (B = 0.10; 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.14; p < 0.001) and caregiving competence (B = 1.01; 95% CI 0.64 to 1.37; p < 0.001). Compared to housewives, employed or retired family caregivers exhibited significantly higher mean preparedness scores (B = 2.05; 95% CI 0.16 to 3.94; p = 0.033). Family caregivers with illiterate patients (B = - 2.29; 95% CI - 4.37 to - 0.21; p = 0.031) compared to having a university education, as well as whose patients were diagnosed within the past 12-18 months (B = - 4.42; 95% CI - 8.36 to - 0.49; p = 0.028) compared to 18-24 months, demonstrated significantly lower mean preparedness scores. The positive correlation between family caregivers' preparedness for caregiving, health literacy, and caregiving competence suggests that enhancing these aspects can potentially improve family caregivers' readiness to provide effective care. The findings of this study can be used in planning educational interventions to improve preparedness for care among family caregivers of breast cancer patients. This can be helpful in reducing healthcare costs for symptom management, fostering better decision-making preparedness, managing family caregiver stress, and improving the quality of life for both family caregivers and patients.