Coping strategies of mothers of school aged children with sickle cell disease in Enugu metropolis, Enugu State, Nigeria
Date
2021-09
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Federal University of Technology, Owerri
Abstract
The study on coping strategies of mothers of school aged children with sickle cell disease (SCD) in Enugu metropolis, Enugu state, Nigeria was carried out between June and August 2017. The overall objective was to determine the coping strategies of mothers of school age children with SCD accessing treatment in health facilities in Enugu metropolis. To achieve the overall objectives, four specific objectives were set. This study was designed as across sectional study and a sample size of 292 mothers were selected using the systematic sampling method from a total population of 460 mothers whose children were accessing treatment for SCD from both UNTH and ESUTH. One hundred and fifty-four (154) were chosen from UNTH while one hundred and thirty-eight (138) were from ESUTH. A structured questionnaire (0.88) was used as instrument for data collection. Data analysis was done using chi-square test and significance was tested at P<0.05. The marital status of mothers showed that, 200 (68.5%) mothers were married and 92(31.5%) were single. Regarding the number of school age children suffering SCD per mother, the result showed that, 248(84.9%) mothers had one child suffering SCDand44(15.1%) mothers had more than one child suffering sickle cell disease. The result on stressors confronting the mothers shows six factors which were; hospital factors, child factors, financial factors, psychological factors, disease factors and family factors. The association between these factors and marital status of these mothers were significant (P<0.05), aside from disease factors which had no significant association with the marital status of the mothers.(X2=0.000, P =1.000, df =2). Hospital factors were coped through confronting the impediments 180(61.6%), financial factors were coped throughcomplaints202(69.1%), child factors were coped through confronting the stressors, psychological factors were coped through complaints 140(47.9%), disease actors were coped through complaints 292(100.0%) and family factors were mainly coped through confronting the stressors. There were significant associations between coping mechanisms adopted by mothers and mothers marital status (P<0.05), aside from coping mechanisms on disease factors which had no significant association with marital status of the mothers. This study has shown that both married and single mothers of children with SCD experience significant stress which they adopt various ways of coping with. It is important for policy makers to provide necessary psychological care and support for these women in other to alleviate their stress.
Description
This thesis is for the award of Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health promotion
Keywords
Sickle cell disease, school aged, coping strategies, stress, stressors, confronting and alleviate, Department of Public Health
Citation
Obi, I. N. (2021). Coping strategies of mothers of school aged children with sickle cell disease in Enugu metropolis, Enugu State, Nigeria (Unpublished Master's Thesis). Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria