ArticleBMC nursing2026
Empowering community volunteers improves the well-being of family caregivers of musculoskeletal disorder patients: a randomized controlled trial.
Article in BMC nursing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundMusculoskeletal (MSK) disorders cause major global disability and strain caregivers' mental health. In China, aging and limited rehabilitation amplify this burden. Empowering community volunteers through structured training may provide emotional and practical support to family caregivers, yet its effectiveness for MSK caregiving remains insufficiently studied.
methodsA randomized controlled trial was conducted in a coal-mining community. Eighty-eight family caregivers were randomly assigned to an intervention group, which received regular home visits from trained community volunteers, or a control group receiving routine community services. Volunteers completed a standardized four-week training program covering caregiving, communication, risk management, and resource navigation. Primary outcomes-caregiver burden (Zarit Burden Interview), depressive symptoms (Self-Rating Depression Scale), and care-related quality of life (CarerQoL-7D)-were assessed at baseline and six months. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) models to evaluate intervention effects.
resultsCompared with the control group, the intervention group showed significant improvements across all measured outcomes over the 6-month period, including reduced caregiver burden (p < 0.001), decreased depressive symptoms (p = 0.010), and enhanced care-related quality of life (p = 0.001). Effect sizes ranged from 0.50 to 0.68, reflecting moderate practical significance. GEE analyses further confirmed significant group-by-time interaction effects, demonstrating greater positive changes in the intervention group over time.
conclusionsThe findings suggest that structured volunteer support may help reduce caregiver burden and depressive symptoms while improving care-related quality of life among family caregivers of musculoskeletal (MSK) patients. The results indicate the potential feasibility of integrating trained community volunteers into caregiving systems. This low-cost, scalable approach may offer a practical way to enhance community-based care and psychosocial support in resource-limited settings.
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