Disease burden experienced by caregivers of children living with Type 1 diabetes in Southwestern Saudi Arabia

Abstract Objective: The objective is to evaluates strain levels suffered by parents taking care of their children who have type 1 diabetes in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Methods: The study design was cross-sectional research to investigate caregiver pressures alongside relevant variables of T1D child caregivers from Abha City in Saudi Arabia. The study took place in Abha Maternity and Children's Hospital which resides in Abha City within KSA. The researcher used a convenience sample as a research methodology for this study. The researcher recruited caregivers who qualified for inclusion in Abha Maternity and Children Hospital. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire designed to capture family factors and demographic data (e.g., age, gender, relationship to the child). The research data underwent entry and analysis through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS-Version 24). Ethical approval was sought from the ethics committee at King Khalid University. Results: a total of 450 respondents were evalauted. Most worked less than 4 hours daily (43.1%). In terms of marital status, 62.2% were married. Majority of caregivers experience a moderate level of burden, with 57.3% of respondents falling into the Moderate Burden category. This suggests that while most caregivers are able to manage their responsibilities, they still face significant emotional, physical, or social strain. A notable 28.4% of caregivers report a high burden, indicating a substantial portion of caregivers are experiencing severe stress and fatigue. The analysis reveals significant differences in caregiver scoring based on various health-related factors. Conclusion: The heaviest pressures of emotional burden along with physical suffering and financial hardship affect female caregivers who earn low income and care for complex health cases of their children. This research confirms that healthcare providers need to establish specialized care approaches that unite mental health resources with financial assistance and emotional support systems used by Type 1 diabetes patient caregivers while demonstrating why better healthcare accessibility helps minimize care responsibilities