Association Between Caregivers’ Family Management and Quality of Life in Children with Chronic Disease in Southern Thailand

PURPOSE: Caring for children with chronic diseases, caregivers have to manage their child’s daily life to prevent complications and improve their quality of life. This study investigated family management of children with chronic diseases, quality of life of children, and correlation between family management of caregivers and quality of life of children as perceived by the caregivers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study collected data from 200 pairs of caregivers and children with asthma, anemia, and thalassemia aged 5 to 12 years after receiving treatment and follow-up in the pediatric outpatient department of the tertiary hospital, June to November 2020. Research instruments comprised a Family Management Measure (FaMM) and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL 4.0). Data were analyzed using descriptive and Spearman rank correlation coefficient statistics. RESULTS: The caregivers of children obtained a mean score on family management of 166.88 (S.D.= 11.32). The quality of life of children with chronic illness had a mean score of 66.59 (S.D.= 18.63). Correlation analysis revealed that easy family management of the caregivers had a positive correlation with the quality of life of children with chronic diseases. On the contrary, difficulty in family management negatively correlated with the quality of life of the children. CONCLUSION: Most caregivers could have easy family management in caring for the children. In summary, easy family management will allow children with chronic illness to receive decent care from their caregivers, contributing to improved quality of life.