Family caregivers (FCs) play a vital role in supporting terminally ill patients with cancer by providing emotional, physical, and practical care throughout the illness trajectory

Background: The data on the association between alcohol intake and sleep quality in a community-based setting are lacking. This study examined overall sleep difficulty according to alcohol habits among Korean adults. Materials and Methods: We analyzed data from 4937 adults who responded to questions about sleep difficulty and drinking habits from the 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for substantial sleep difficulty based on the frequency or amount of alcohol consumption in total and age- and sex-stratified subgroup analyses. Results: Approximately 8.5% of the study population had substantial sleep difficulty. Individuals who drank <1 per week (frequency) or 1–2 cups per time (amount) had the lowest prevalence of substantial sleep difficulty, even compared with nondrinkers. Among drinkers, the association between alcohol use and sleep difficulty was significant in a dose-dependent manner (P for trend: 0.003 in frequency and < 0.001 in amount). Subgroup analysis revealed that significant linear relationships were robust for adults aged <50 years ([ORs] 1.20 [95% CIs 1.03–1.40] for frequency and 1.25 [1.10–1.42] for amount) and females (1.26 [1.10–1.44] for amount). Conclusion: Alcohol consumption is associated with increased sleep difficulties, especially in younger adults and women, underscoring the need for targeted interventions and in-depth research on the effects of alcohol on sleep.

Family caregivers play a critical role in supporting patients with advanced cancer, yet their quality of life (QoL) is often adversely affected and remains insufficiently addressed in routine care. Although family relationships have been widely recognized as important in the caregiving context, their specific domains have rarely been examined in relation to caregiver outcomes. This study aimed to examine the associations between distinct domains of family relationships and caregiver QoL. A total of 170 caregivers were recruited from nine hospice units in Korea between September 2021 and March 2024. for this multicenter study. The Family Relationship Assessment Scale (FRAS) and the Korean version of the Caregiver QOL Index-Cancer (CQOLC-K) were used to assess family relationships and caregiver QoL, respectively. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations between specific domains of family relationships and caregiver QoL. Family relationship domains were differentially associated with caregiver QoL. Overall family relationship scores were positively associated with QoL (β = 0.30, p = 0.004), while family conflict showed the strongest negative association (β = −1.03, p = 0.001). In contrast, family support was associated with better positive adaptation (β = 0.24, p = 0.027). The associations between family relationships and QoL were more pronounced among vulnerable caregivers, including those who were younger, unemployed, had lower social support or resilience, or were dissatisfied with care. Family relationships, particularly conflict and support, are important correlates of caregiver QoL. Incorporating the assessment of family relationship domains helps identify caregivers at increased risk and informs the development of more family-centered supportive approaches in palliative oncology care.