The effect of family-centered empowerment model and participatory care model on quality of life in children with thalassemia major: A quasi-experimental study

Abstract

Purpose: This aimed to compare the effect of family-centered (FC) empowerment model and participatory care model on quality of life (QoL) in children with thalassemia major. Methods: This quasi-experimental pre- post-test study was conducted on three groups, including the FC empowerment, the participatory care model and control. The study samples consisted of thalassemia children who met the inclusion criteria. The samples were randomly divided into three by lot. Data was collected using a demographic questionnaire and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. The control group received routine care only. The intervention program was implemented for four sessions of 45 minutes during two weeks (two sessions per week) in the conference hall of the hospital. The data were analyzed analysis of covariance with the Bonferroni post hoc test. The significance level was set at < 0.05. Results: A significant difference in the means of physical (p=0.002), social (P<0.001), and educational (p = 0.001) dimensions among FC, participatory model, or control group. However, there was no significant difference in the means of emotional dimension among the study groups (p=0.316). Conclusions: The FC empowerment model was not superior to the participatory care model except in the educational dimension of the QoL of children with thalassemia.