Psychosocial Aspects of School Age Children with Thalassemia Major in Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf

Abstract

Background: Thalassemia major is a prevalent hereditary disease in Mediterranean region, the assessment of physical aspect of school age children, especially in those with chronic illness such as thalassemia is particularly important.
Objectives: this study aims to assess psychosocial aspects of school age children with thalassemia major. And found out the magnitude association between psychosocial aspects and their demographic characteristics and their clinical characteristics.

Methodology: A Non Probability "purposive" sample of (100) school age children with thalassemia major and their parents are included in the present study. The study was conducted in the period of September 2nd 2014 to August2nd2015 in Al Najaf Al Ashraf â„ Al-Zahra Maternal and Child Teaching Hospital / Thalassemia center. Researcher constructed special questioner to achieve objectives of the present study. Validity of the study instrument was determined through the panel of experts and the reliability of the study questionnaire was determined through Alpha correlation coefficient was computed for the determination of the internal consistency reliability which was ±= 0.87 for the standardized alpha of the internal scale of the assessment of child psychosocial aspects and ±= 0.91 for standardized Alpha of the internal scale of the assessment of parents proxy information. Data analyses through use descriptive (frequency and percentage) and inferential statistical analysis procedures (t-test , chi squire, and P- value) were used to data analysis.

Results: The present study results indicated that there was a significant relationship between thalassemia major and their psychosocial aspects. Also non-significant differences between child and their parent's responses regard to the overall psychosocial aspects.

Conclusions:. The study concluded that the majority of the study sample of thalassemic children had negative impact on psychosocial aspects. In addition, the emotional domain is the most affected one, followed by the social domain, and then the school domain.

Recommendations: The study recommends that a psychologist and sociologist in the center thalassemia is a must be present to help in providing a link between patients, school, the families, and the physicians. And health oriented by mass media in providing information to population about thalassemia and other inherited diseases.