Attitude, needs and understanding of receiving palliative care from the point of view of children with cancer and their mothers at the Mardani Azari Educational and Treatment Center, 2023-2024

Abstract

Abstract: Background and Objective: One of the important aspects of care in the pediatric oncology department is palliative care. Given the increasing prevalence of cancer and the significance of improving the quality of life for children with cancer and their parents, palliative care has become a crucial topic. This type of care in children is patient-centered and family-centered, focusing on alleviating symptoms, pain, suffering, and stress caused by the illness. Therefore, this study aims to determine the attitudes, needs, and understanding of receiving palliative care from the perspective of children with cancer and their mothers at the Mardani Azari Educational and Treatment Center. Method: The present study is a descriptive-cross-sectional study involving a sample of 210 children aged 6 to 12 years with cancer who were hospitalized in the oncology department of Mardani Azari Hospital, along with their mothers. In this study, the tool developed by Levine et al. (2017) was utilized. The questions in this questionnaire examined the attitudes, care needs, and understanding of palliative care from the perspectives of children with cancer and their parents, with results reported in terms of percentages and frequencies. In the current study, the questionnaire was administered through interviews conducted by the researcher with the children and their mothers. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software version 21 and descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage). Findings: The results showed that the average age of the children was 9.25 years, and 54.8 percent of them were boys. The average age of the mothers was 35.9 years. Most children had a positive attitude, while most mothers had a neutral attitude regarding supportive care. One month after the start of treatment, over 27 percent of the children believed they suffered significantly from anxiety and nervousness, and more than 30 percent of the mothers believed that the children suffered greatly from nausea, loss of appetite, and anxiety and nervousness. Over 70 percent of the children and mothers believed that the care team made significant efforts to address the children's pain, nausea, and loss of appetite. More than 50 percent of the children and mothers believed that the symptoms of pain, nausea, and loss of appetite in the children were well controlled, while over 40 percent of them believed that the children's anxiety and nervousness were not controlled at all.

Result: The study results indicated that receiving palliative care during treatment is beneficial, leading to a reduction in symptom burden and an increase in the quality of life for children. The neutrality of mothers' attitudes towards palliative care likely suggests that the mothers participating in our study need better education and understanding regarding palliative care.