Knowledge and Home Practices of Caregivers Having Children with Leukemia Attending National Cancer Institute Cairo University
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- Category: Vol. 81, September 2013
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Knowledge and Home Practices of Caregivers Having Children with Leukemia Attending National Cancer Institute Cairo University, MANAL M. EL-SAWY, GEHAN M. ISMAIL, HEBA MAGDY and GEHAN A. EL-SAMMAN
Abstract
Children with leukemia usually suffer from many health problems and complications as a result of the disease process or the course of treatment.
Aim of the Study: Was to assess the knowledge and home practices of family caregivers having children with leukemia.
Design: Descriptive correlational research design was utilized in this study.
Setting: The study was conducted at the out-patient clinic of the Pediatric Oncology Department at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University.
Sample: A sample of 192 family caregivers of newly diagnosed children with leukemia between the ages of 6-12 years of age who were receiving chemotherapy.
Tools for Data Collection: Three tools were used. 1-Structured interviewing sheet: It had three parts: a. Sociode-mographic characteristic of the children as: Age, gender, education, child rank, etc... b. Sociodemographic characteristic of the caregivers as: Age, gender, education, etc... c. Disease information: Family history of cancer, types of treatment taken, etc... 2- Knowledge questionnaire sheet consisted of 24 questions related to the caregiver's knowledge as disease definition, causes, signs and symptoms, etc... 3- Practice questionnaire sheet consisted of 27 questions related to the caregiver's practices such as care of symptoms and side effects of chemotherapy, etc...
Results: More than two third of caregivers had partially satisfactory knowledge and practice scores concerning home care, dealing with disease and side effects of treatments. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between total knowledge and total practice scores of family caregivers. A statistically significant correlation was found between total knowledge & practice scores and caregiver's education, income, place of residence, number of children in the family and duration of care. Conclusion: The study concluded that, the majority of caregivers had lack of knowledge and practices regarding care of their children with leukemia.
Recommendation: Based on the study results it is recom-mended to develop a health education programs tailored to
improve knowledge and home care practices of caregivers having children with leukemia.