THE ASSESSMENT OF SATISFACTION LEVEL AND SOCIAL SUPPORT PERCEPTIONS OF PARENTS WHOSE CHILDREN ARE MONITERED FOR CHRONIC DISEASE DIAGNOSIS

Aim and Methods: The study designed descriptively was composed with the acceptance of 129 parents whose children are monitored for chronic disease diagnosis at one university hospital in Turkey. The data were collected by... [ view full abstract ]

Aim and Methods: The study designed descriptively was composed with the acceptance of 129 parents whose children are monitored for chronic disease diagnosis at one university hospital in Turkey. The data were collected by using “question form” and “ renewed parents social support scale” in line with the literature. SPSS 17. 0 package program was used to evaluate the data.
Findings: The ages of children whose parents took part in the study ranges from 1-18 and 41.1% of them are between 1-5 and 81.4% of the parents regarded the mother responsible primarily. Age group of child increased, the satisfaction level of parents from social support decreased, and the result was found statistically significant(p<0.05). When the relationship between the frequency levels of parents’ going out and their social support points were analyzed, the social support score average of parents never going out in a week is 70.78±24.12 while the average for the ones going out every day is 91.14±17.96. Similarly, as the frequency of visits by relatives of the parents increased the total of social support scores increased accordingly(p<0.001). When the state of chronic disease affecting the daily life activities of the child and the state of parents’ social support perceptions were investigated, the difference between the average scores of parents’social support perceptions(76.32±24.21)and satisfaction state(76.90±24.34)whose children’s daily life activities affected by chronic disease, and the social support perceived by parents whose children’s daily life activities were never affected or partly affected(86.51±20.17)and satisfaction state(87.08±21.06)was assessed and the result proved to be statistically significant(p=0.01).
Results and suggestions: In accordance with the research, forming support groups for the families whose children have chronic disease, meetings in which parents in need could express themselves at hospital by nursing services could be recommended.
Key words: Family, chronic disease, social support.