Information Needs Assessment among Parents of Children with Cancer.

Mohammad Esmail Motlagh,Mehdi Mirzaei-Alavijeh,Seyyed Nasrollah Hosseini

doi:10.31557/apjcp.2019.20.6.1865

Abstract

Background:Parents of children with leukemia should be receiving an extensive amount of information about the care of their child; the aim of this study was to determine the parents’ information needs of children with leukemia. Methods:A cross-sectional study design was used to describe medical, physical, mental and lifestyle information needs among parents of children with leukemia. 209 parents of children diagnosed with leukemia in the west of Iran, during winter 2018, voluntarily participated in individual interviews. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 using t-test, One-way ANOVA and bivariate correlations statistical tests at 95% significant level. Results:The mean age of participants was 39.45 years [95% CI: 38.35, 40.55], ranged from 27 to 58 years. Participants achieved 55.6% score of information needs. There was a significant relationship between higher education level (P< 0.001), better economic status (P=0.008) and more family size member (P=0.003) with information needs. Conclusion:Findings suggest that parents of children with leukemia need the information to learn how to take care of their childhood and could be useful for guiding implementers to planning and implement effective programs to promotion information of parents towards children with cancer.

Highlights

In recent years, chronic diseases such as cancers have been one of the major health problems, and according to estimates by the world health organization, cancer incidence ratio could be increased annually to 15 million new cases in the year 2020 (Barnes et al, 2002)
A cross-sectional study design was used to describe medical, physical, mental and lifestyle information needs among parents of children with leukemia. 209 parents of children diagnosed with leukemia in the west of Iran, during winter 2018, voluntarily participated in individual interviews
The results of our study indicated that the participants achieved 60.06%, 60.46%, 52.80 and 50% of score medical, physical, mental and lifestyle information, respectively

Summary

Introduction

Chronic diseases such as cancers have been one of the major health problems, and according to estimates by the world health organization, cancer incidence ratio could be increased annually to 15 million new cases in the year 2020 (Barnes et al, 2002). Cancer as a debilitating and prevalent disease is one of the main causes of child mortality (Panganiban-Corales et al, 2011), and it’s as a life-threatening event for children and their families (Ward et al, 2014). Studies have shown that parents’ well-informed participation facilitates children’s health care, parents need the knowledge and skills to care of children (Jordan et al, 2008; Sahler et al, 2005). Parents of children with leukemia should be receiving an extensive amount of information about the care of their child; the aim of this study was to determine the parents’ information needs of children with leukemia. Conclusion: Findings suggest that parents of children with leukemia need the information to learn how to take care of their childhood and could be useful for guiding implementers to planning and implement effective programs to promotion information of parents towards children with cancer

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion