Health-related quality of life of children with intestinal stomas, a cross-sectional study at Mulago Hospital, Uganda.

Abstract

Child intestinal stomas are relatively common in Uganda, but the impact on children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is not well known. We assessed children aged 1-12 years with intestinal stomas at least one month after surgery at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. In our cross-sectional study, 109 children were enrolled and over 90% had good HRQoL scores. With multivariate analysis, it was apparent that children with divorced caregivers were over three times more likely to have poor scores. Thus enhanced pre-operative counselling, tailored stoma care education, and ongoing psychosocial support are essential for these children.