The Effect of Educational Support Program on the Amount of Caregiver Burden on the Parents of Children with Cancer Admitted to the Oncology Ward of Besat Hospital in Sanandaj, 2021

Caring for children with cancer can impose a heavy care burden on their parents. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of educational support program on the care burden of the parents of children with cancer admitted to the oncology department of Besat Hospital in Sanandaj in 2021.

This semi-experimental study was conducted in the oncology department of Besat Hospital in Sanandaj in 2021. 31 participants were randomly selected. Data were collected using Zarit care burden questionnaire before, immediately after and one month after the intervention. After the educational needs assessment, based on the educational needs of the caregivers, training courses were held for the parents. Then, in a period of one month, parents' communication with the researcher, parents' education and meeting their needs were supported. Using SPSS version 24 software, data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics.

A decrease of 12.29 ± 9.33 units in the total care burden score before the intervention compared to that immediately after the intervention and a decrease of 6.54 ± 5.012 units in the total care burden score immediately after the intervention compared to that one month after were observed which were significant. Therefore, the burden of care decreased significantly after the intervention (P=0.001).

The results of this study showed that use of educational support program could reduce the care burden of caregivers.