Αssessment of Children's Perception Suffering from Cystic Fibrosis about their Physical and Emotional Health

Abstract

Introduction: Cystic fibrosis is the most common hereditary disease, especially in the white race. Treatment of the disease is multifaceted and focuses on drug therapy, physiotherapy, physical exercise, proper nutrition, lung transplantation, and gene therapy. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess the perception of children suffering from cystic fibrosis about their physical and emotional health. Material and Method: The sample of the study consisted of 100 children with cystic fibrosis who were enrolled in the Greek cystic fibrosis association. Data collection was performed using a special scale of physical and emotional problems for study purposes. All statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS statistical package version 22 and the t-test and anova correlation tests were used. Statistical significance level was set at ≤5%. Results: Most of the 100 children suffering from cystic fibrosis in this study, were boys (59%) and 45% were under the age of 12 years. Physical health was scored more negative by children of single parent families (p=0.004), children of primary and secondary educated mothers (p=0.001), secondary children (p=0.006), less informed children (p<0.001), children receiving antibiotics (p=0.054), children who use pancreatic enzymes 1–2 times a day (p<0.001), children who use inhaled mucolytic drugs (p<0.001), children who drink water with a straw up to 5’ (p=0.037), children using a breathing exerciser up to 5’ (p=0.014), children who undergo physiotherapy more than 20’ (p<0.001). Emotional health was scored more negatively by children undergoing physiotherapy exercises more than 20’ (p=0.021), relaxation exercises more than 6–10’ (p<0.001), drainage activities, blowing balls on a flat (p<0.001), using a breathing exerciser up to 10’ (p<0.001), produce loud oral sounds of more than 5 (p<0.001). Overall health was scored more negative by children of primary and secondary school educated mothers (p=0.001), children of fathers who are private sector employees (p<0.001), children of unemployed mothers (p=0.012), only children of a family (p=0.020), secondary children (p=0.001), children who are very well informed (p=0,006), children of foreigners (p=0.047), children using inhaled drugs (p=0.005), children using antibiotics (p=0,006), children undergoing exercises of relax more than 6 (p<0.001), children who do not produce sounds (p<0.001). Conclusions: Children with cystic fibrosis at 90% perceive their physical and emotional health as relatively good to good, while only 4% as very good and 6% as poor. It has also been observed in this study that various socio-demographic factors affect children's perception of their health status.