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Quality of life of family caregivers of children with orofacial clefts in N igeria: a mixed‐method study
Author(s) -
Awoyale T,
Onajole AT,
Ogunnowo BE,
Adeyemo WL,
Wanyonyi KL,
Butali A
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
oral diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.953
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1601-0825
pISSN - 1354-523X
DOI - 10.1111/odi.12379
Subject(s) - focus group , empathy , quality of life (healthcare) , medicine , affect (linguistics) , qualitative research , family medicine , health professionals , health care , psychology , nursing , psychiatry , social science , marketing , sociology , economics , business , economic growth , communication
Background Orofacial clefts ( OFC s) are common birth defects that may impose a large burden on the health and psychosocioeconomic well‐being of affected individuals and families. This study aims to identify qualitative factors that affect the quality of life ( QOL ) of family caregivers of children with OFC s. Methods A mixed‐method study in which family caregivers of OFC s children were consecutively recruited from cleft clinics over a 3‐month period. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 17 and focus group discussion by framework analysis. Results A total of 107 caregivers participated in the entire study, and 24 caregivers participated in the focus group discussions. About 50% of the children had cleft lip and palate ( CLP ), 28% with cleft lips only ( CL ) and 23.4% with cleft palate only ( CP ). Poor access to specific information and lack of empathy of professionals affected the quality of life and delivery of family‐centered care. Conclusions To improve the quality of life of family caregivers, individual‐focused counseling sessions should be organized for caregivers soon after birth. This will provide an opportunity to discuss the laid out plans for supportive care. It will also be as an avenue to address the arising social issues by health professionals and counselors.