Self-Concept and Related Factors in Children and Adolescents with Thalassemia Major Aged 7-18 in Golestan Province, 2012

The people with Thalassemia, because of frequent blood transfusion and sever complication, require constant medical supervision, and their psychological problems are paramount. This study aimed to determine Self-Concept and Related factors in children and adolescents with Thalassemia major aged 7-18 in Golestan province, 2012. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 155, using census sampling, children and adolescents with Thalassemia major refereeing to therapeutic and health centers for blood transfusion. The instruments were Piers-Harris self-concept questionnaire and demographic data. The analysis was performed by SPSS software using ANOV and t-test. The mean of self-concept was low, and there was significant relationship between self-concept and variables such as age, educational status, dropout, order of birth, the number of children in family and parents’ education level. But no significant difference was observed between self-concept and the factors such as sport, the frequency of transfusion, economic status. The results revealed that the self-concept of the thalassaemic patients is low. Some non-adjustable factors exacerbate this condition, but encouraging them to continue their education, informing their parents more about their children’s disease can be helpful to improve their self-concept.