A Comparison of Quality of Life, Anxiety and Depression in Children with Cancer and Healthy Children, Kermanshah-Iran

Abstract

Background Cancer is a major public health problem in many parts of the world. The present study aimed to compare the quality of life, anxiety and depression in in children with cancer and healthy children. Materials and Methods In this descriptive and causal-comparative study, the statistical population consisted of cancer patients visiting Mohammad Kermanshahi Hospital based in Kermanshah, Iran, in the summer of 2016. Moreover, 60 samples were selected through the convenience sampling. For data collection, three questionnaires were utilized: WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), Children's Depression Scale (CDS), and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS). Furthermore, data were analyzed through the descriptive (frequency, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA)) using the SPSS Statistics Software Version 23.0. Results The results of the present study demonstrated that there were significant differences between the cancer and healthy children in terms of all coping styles. The results also revealed that the mean scores of depression and anxiety of cancer children exceeded those of healthy children, while the mean score of cancer children’s quality of life was lower than that of healthy children. Conclusion According to the results of the present study, it can be concluded that emotional-behavioral changes are the strongest and most stable elements that make a difference in cancer and healthy children. Hence, giving full consideration to Factors is of special importance.