IDENTIFICATION OF SOURCES OF CONCERN ABOUT ILLNESS AND HOSPITALIZATION IN SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN WITH ONCOLOGICAL DISEASES

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the sources of anxiety about illness and hospitalization of school-age children with oncological disease. The sample of the descriptive study conducted at a University Hospital consisted of 102 children. Data were collected by face-to-face interview method using the “Data Collection Form” and the “Scale of Worry of School Age Children with Oncological Diseases”. It was determined that the mean age of the children was 9.43±2.28, 54.9% were male, and 41.2% were diagnosed with oncological disease for more than 3 years. It was determined that of the children, 48.0% could not attend school due to their disease, 72.5% were diagnosed with ALL, 79.4% had recurrences during hospitalization, 5.9% had metastasis, and 71.6% received chemotherapy. The mean score of the School Age Children with Oncological Diseases on the Sources of Worry Scale was found to be 67.84±20.44. Compared to children aged 6-9 compared to children aged 10-12, children whose fathers are primary school graduates, and children whose fathers are high school or university graduates, children diagnosed with lymphoma compared to children diagnosed with ALL, brain tumor and sarcoma, School Age Children with Oncological Disease Sources of Worry Scale mean score was found to be significantly higher. As a result, we can say that children with oncological problems are anxious and age, diagnosis and father education are effective in children's anxiety.