Nonpharmacological Approaches and Parental Education in Children With Sickle Cell Disease

Overview

Aim: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary disease. Approximately 5% of the world's population carries trait genes for haemoglobin disorders, mainly, sickle-cell disease and thalassaemia. The incidence of sickle cell disease varies according to different geographical locations. Persons with SCD experience both acute and chronic pain. it is important that nonpharmacological therapies be investigated and used as complements to pharmacological therapies to address and treat both acute and chronic pain for those with SCD. An educational program involving parents with children with SCD can help parents use nonpharmacological methods for their children in reducing pain. The training program allows parents to develop their knowledge of the SCD and the importance of non-pharmacological methods, and may provide parents with the opportunity to develop preventive attitudes towards reducing pain crises. The research has two purposes. The first is to identify the non-pharmacological approaches that parents use to help their children with sickle cell disease in Turkey, Chad. Second, to determine the effectiveness of non-pharmacological approaches given to parents in Turkey, Chad. Method: This study is an experimental research method using a quasi-experimental design. This study used a pretest and posttest, with a design that is used is the two group pretest-posttest design. The study was conducted on the parents of children with sickle cell disease diagnosed and followed up in the Pediatric Hematology Oncology polyclinics of two hospitals in Chad in Central Africa between September 2015 and February 2016. The study found in April 2016 and July 2016 between Turkey's southern Antalya and Mersin two university hospital outpatient Children's pediatric hematology oncology has made clinic on sickle cell disease diagnosed and monitored the children's parents. The parents were selected using eligibility criteria and the study was performed in three steps (Pre-intervention testing session, education session, and post-intervention testing session). In the first step, "Information Form", "Parents' Experience of Nonpharmacological Methods Questionnaire", and "Nonpharmacological Approaches Used by Parents for Their Children and Knowledge of Parents about Nonpharmacological Approaches Questionnaire" questionnaires were applied to parents. In the second step an individual education was conducted by the researcher using the education book. In the third step, the questionnaire were reapplied after 3 weeks.

In this study, nonpharmacological approaches used by parents of sickle cell anemia patients were determined. However, the effectiveness of the education given to non-pharmacological approaches to parents was examined. The study was first applied to parents in Chad. Then applied to parents in Turkey. n the study, parents' experience of nonpharmacological approaches questionnaire was used. The form consisted of 8 multiple-choice questions, including a single open-ended question. If the parent used a nonpharmacological approach for the child, the name of the nonpharmacological approach (open - ended question) was written on the form. In addition, the form was asked to write the frequency of using a nonpharmacological approach (sometimes / always / not use). Parents' pre- and post-educational knowledge of non-pharmacological methods to reduce the pain of children with SCD was measured with a closed-ended questionnaire developed by the researchers in the literature (he knows/he does not know). Nonpharmacological approaches in sickle cell disease training book was the intervention of this study. Nonpharmacological approaches in sickle cell disease training book "Parental Education Program for Nonpharmacological Approaches Used in Pain in Children with Sickle Cell Disease", was prepared according to previous studies by the researchers. The language used for administration of the instruments and the language used in education book was French / Arabic / Turkish.