Phenomenology Study of Nutrition Support in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia during Chemotherapy

Abstract

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children is a case most often found in children under 15 years with a percentage of 30-40%. According to data from the medical record installation of Dr. Kariadi Hospital, the number of children under 15 years old with LLA hospitalized during 2015 - 2019 was 526 cases with a death rate of 69 patients. The treatment process is quite complex because it takes a long time and requires active involvement between health workers and parents. This study aims to describe the nutritional support of children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) during the chemotherapy process in Semarang Subjects and Method: This was a qualitative study with a phenomenological perspective. The study was conducted at Dr. Kariadi Hos­pital, Semarang. The sample was taken by using purposive sampling. The tools used in this study were cellphones, interview guides and field notes guidelines. The data collection tech­nique is by interview, observation and docu­ment analysis. Data analysis was performed using the Analysis Interactive model of Miles and Huberman. Results: This study shows 5 themes, namely a description of the subject's condition, physio­logical problems during the chemotherapy process, nutritional support during the chemo­therapy process, nutritional knowledge, and socio-economics. Conclusion: Nutritional support for children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) during the chemotherapy process is still not optimal. This is influenced by physiological problems that arise during the chemotherapy process and also because of the characteristics of each child, the limited knowledge of the companion about the concept of a healthy diet by choosing the right food ingredients and the socioeconomic factors of the participants who claim to be limited in providing healthy and nutritious intake. Keywords: nutritional support, acute lympho­blastic leukemia, chemotherapy Correspondence: Dian Estiningtyas. Masters Program in Public Health, Universitas Sebelas Maret. Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A, Surakarta 57126, Central Java. Email: dianesttyas@gmail.com. Mobile: +6281­514465646. Journal of Maternal and Child Health (2020), 05(05): 537-548 https://doi.org/10.26911/thejmch.2020.05.05.08