Determinants of the Quality of Life of Caregivers of Children with Sickle Cell Disease at Siaya County Referral Hospital, Kenya

Abstract

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a high-morbidity and early-mortality disease if not managed and controlled properly. Managing a child with SCD is a challenging experience for both the caregiver and the family unit. These children are usually highly dependent on the caregiver for their daily activities. In Kenya, this disease has its highest prevalence in malaria-endemic regions mainly the Coast and Nyanza regions. Despite it being endemic in these regions, there is a dearth of literature on the determinants of the quality of life of caregivers of children with sickle cell disease in these areas. This study, therefore, sought to establish the determinants of the quality of life of caregivers of children with sickle cell disease attending care at the Siaya County Referral Hospital, in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive and analytic cross-sectional study design. The study population were the caregivers of children suffering from Sickle Cell Disease seeking care at the Siaya County Referral Hospital in Kenya. A sample of 60 respondents was used to collect the desired data. A purposive sampling method was used to arrive at the sample. The study findings indicated that employment, financial security, monthly income, acquisition of new information, support from friends, ability to get around and quality of sleep impacted positively on caregivers’ quality of life. Results also indicated that frequency of hospitalization and frequent negative feelings impacted negatively on the caregivers’ quality of life. However, the study found no significant relationship between gender, age and education level with caregivers’ quality of life. The study recommended that the national and County governments should ensure that caregivers of children with SCD are provided with employment opportunities; the national and County governments should formulate programs aimed at supporting caregivers of children with SCD financially; and the employers of caregivers of children with SCD should consider raising their monthly income to enable them meet their financial needs. Keywords: Socio-demographic factors, economic factors, psychological factors, quality of life of caregivers, sickle cell disease