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Quality of life for pediatric onco-hematology patients and caregiver overload
Quality of life for pediatric onco-hematology patients and caregiver overload
María F. Rojas-Velasco 1 
, Arturo García-Galicia 2 , Nancy R. Bertado-Ramírez 2 , Álvaro J. Montiel-Jarquín 3 , Jorge Loría-Castellanos 4 , Irma B. González-Merino 5
1 Departamento de Servicio Social, Facultad de Medicina, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional General de División Manuel Ávila Camacho, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Puebla de Zaragoza, Puebla, México; 2 Dirección de Educación e Investigación en Salud. Hospital de Especialidades de Puebla, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Puebla, Pue., México; 3 Dirección de Educación e Investigación en Salud, Centro Médico Nacional Gral. de Div. Manuel Ávila Camacho, Hospital de Especialidades de Puebla, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) Puebla, México; 4 Coordinación de Proyectos Especiales en Salud, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de México, México; 5 Servicio de Pediatría, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Gral. de Div. Manuel Ávila Camacho, IMSS, Puebla de Zaragoza, Pue. México
*Correspondence: Arturo García-Galicia. Email: neurogarciagalicia@yahoo.com.mx
Abstract
Background: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in children and adolescents aged 0-14 years in the United States. Currently, pediatric cancer poses challenges that impact patient quality of life (QOL) and caregiver burden.
Objective: To correlate QOL and caregiver burden in pediatric oncology-hematology patients.
Method: Cross-sectional, prospective, and correlational study in a tertiary medical unit. Pediatric patients aged 2 to 18 years with a diagnosis of cancer and their caregivers were recruited. Questionnaires used: PedsQL module 3.0 and Zarit scale. Descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Spearman’s Rho tests were used. A p < 0.05 was considered significant. Data were analyzed using SPSS for IBM v.25.
Results: One hundred thirty-three pediatric patients and their caregivers were included. The items of the PedsQL module 3.0 cancer questionnaire had a nonparametric distribution (p < 0.01) (Kolmogorov-Smirnov). The correlation between caregiver QoL and caregiver overload was moderate to good with a Spearman’s Rho of –0.416 with a p < 0.000.
Conclusions: Patients’ QOL is moderate to good, most caregivers report no caregiver overload.
Keywords: Quality of life. Caregiver overload. PedsQL. Zarit scale.
