Caregiver- and Care Recipient–Related Factors Linked to Pain in Family Caregivers of Persons Living with Dementia

Background Family caregivers of persons living with dementia (PLWD) often experience significant psychological, financial, and social stress, increasing their risk for both mental and physical health problems. Objective This study examined factors associated with caregivers’ perceived pain in the context of dementia care. Methods This was cross-sectional study using baseline data from a dyadic clinical trial evaluating a behavioral sleep intervention for PLWD and their family caregivers. A total of 148 caregivers were included in the analytic sample. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and hierarchical linear regression were used to identify caregiver- and care recipient-related factors associated with caregiver pain. Results Most caregivers (84%) reported pain in the past week. In the final regression model, lower education, greater caregiver comorbidity, and poorer caregiver sleep quality independently predicted higher pain, explaining 30.6% of the variance and highlighting key caregiver health factors linked to pain.