Korean J Child Health Nurs.  2000 Jun;6(2):249-261.

The Study on the Quality of Life for the Mothers of Hospitalized Chronic Pediatric Patients

• Chei MA
• Lee HS
• Kim DH
• Park MH
• Yoon SY
• Cho YH
• Bang KS
• Park YH

Abstract

The purpose of this study were to identify the quality of life for the mothers of hospitalized chronic pediatric patients, and to explore the factors affecting the QOL of those mothers. The subjects were 201 mothers whose children had hospitalized at one University hospital with chronic diseases. Data were collected from the December, 1997 to December, 1998. We used a revised QOL instrument consisting of 34 items, 5 point likert scale based on the Noh's QOL instrument. The revised QOL consists of six subscales, those are physical status and function, self esteem, emotional status, economic status, relationship with family members, and relationship with neighborhood. Data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation using SPSS-PC. The results were as follows: 1. The mean score of quality of life for the mothers of chronic pediatric patients was 100.31, and item mean was 2.95. In subscale analysis, item mean of economic status was the lowest, and that of relationship with family members was the highest. 2.Correlations between characteristics of chronic pediatric patients, their mothers and QOL of mothers were as follows; 1) Total QOL of mothers had a significant positive relationship with progressing time relapse after diagnosing and age of mothers. There was a significant negative relationship between the total QOL of mothers and number of hospitalization of their children. 2) QOL on self esteem and economic status had a significant relationship with age of pediatric patients, the time relapse after diagnosis, and age of mothers. Total number of family members and QOL on economic status showed a significant positive relationship. QOL on emotional status, economic status, and relationship with family members of mothers showed negative correlations with the number of hospitalization of their children. 3. Followings were the result of difference in QOL among different demographic characteristics of the subjects. 1) QOL on economic status of mothers was significantly higher when fathers of pediatric patients had jobs. 2)Total QOL score, QOL on emotional status, and QOL on relationship with neighborhood were significantly higher when mothers of pediatric patients had spouses. 3)QOL on self esteem of mothers was significantly higher when mothers had religion. 4. Followings were the result of difference in QOL among different diagnosis of the children. 1)Total QOL score of mothers whose children had congenital heart disease was higher than that of mothers whose children had leukemia and cancer. 2)QOL on emotional status, economic status, and relationship with family members of mothers whose children had congenital heart disease were higher than those of mothers whose children had leukemia, cancer, and epilepsy.

MeSH Terms

Child
Chronic Disease
Diagnosis
Epilepsy
Fathers
Heart Defects, Congenital
Hospitalization
Humans
Leukemia
Mothers*
Quality of Life*
Recurrence
Residence Characteristics
Self Concept
Spouses
Child Health