Self care practices of children with leukemia and their care givers

ABSTRACT

The aim of the study was to assess the self care practices of children suffering from Leukemia through; assessing universal, developmental and health deviation self care dimension and assessing care givers ability to assist their children. Research designs a descriptive cross-sectional research design. Setting the study was carried out at three outpatient clinic of University children's hospital belonging to Ain Shams, Cairo, and Mansoura. Subject a purposive sample composed of one hundred and fifty children different age groups under the criteria of being diagnosed as Leukemia, at least having one week hospitalization and attending the out patient department for follow up on regular bases. Data collection were predesigned interviewing questionnaire consisted of three parts, one for sociodemographic characteristic for the sample under the study the second for Self care behavior of children with leukemia based on Orem's self care theory, the third part for assessing care givers ability to assist their children The result of the study revealed that, regarding to universal, developmental and health deviation self-care dimension the highest children had moderate, low and ranged from low to moderate respectively. There was a highly statistical significant difference between different age group regarding the three dimension of self-care. Also the study proved that there was a highly statistical significant difference between those children who had acute lymphocytic leukemia [ALL], acute myelogenous leukemia [AML], chronic myelogenous leukemia [CML] in relation to their universal self -care dimension. The findings of this study provide useful information for nurses to understand self-care behaviors of children with leukemia. The findings also assist nurses to perform nursing interventions and provide proper discharge plans to this population. The study recommended that to perform further studies for assessment of the value of health education in the prevention of childhood Leukaemia are needed in order to demonstrate whether these finding can be applied to large population also taking in considerations the importance of improving the knowledge of mothers [care givers] of Leukaemic children once they diagnosed, to know how to deal with their children, so prevent any further difficulties [problems] for both mothers and their children and recommend any child and his mother abut regression in self-care which happen to him after suffering from leukaemia