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Publication
Parents’ attitude towards their children and adolescents affected by leprosy in an endemic district in West Bengal, India
Abstract
Background:
Parental attitude is an important area to study in order to improve services to families of children affected by leprosy , as it plays a major role in the diagnosis and treatment of the sick child. This study examines parents’ attitudes towards their children affected by leprosy.
Methods:
This field-based study sample consisted of 100 couples who had registered their children for treatment at a tertiary care hospital. Parental attitude towards their children's illness was measured using the Parents Attitude Towards Children Illness Scale (PATCIS).
Results:
One hundred couples were interviewed, these being the parents of 60 male and 40 female children with leprosy. Of these children, 67 were diagnosed as multibacillary. Almost all of them had a skin patch as the first symptom: 46 children noticed the patch themselves and 51 were noticed by the parents. Forty-nine cases had started treatment within six months after noticing the patch. The overall mean score of the study participants was 4.19 ± 3.44 , showing that most of them had a positive attitude towards the disease of their children.
Conclusion:
This is the first study to investigate the parents’ attitude towards their children affected by leprosy. The study showed that the parents had a positive attitude towards their child’s disease.
Parental attitude is an important area to study in order to improve services to families of children affected by leprosy , as it plays a major role in the diagnosis and treatment of the sick child. This study examines parents’ attitudes towards their children affected by leprosy.
Methods:
This field-based study sample consisted of 100 couples who had registered their children for treatment at a tertiary care hospital. Parental attitude towards their children's illness was measured using the Parents Attitude Towards Children Illness Scale (PATCIS).
Results:
One hundred couples were interviewed, these being the parents of 60 male and 40 female children with leprosy. Of these children, 67 were diagnosed as multibacillary. Almost all of them had a skin patch as the first symptom: 46 children noticed the patch themselves and 51 were noticed by the parents. Forty-nine cases had started treatment within six months after noticing the patch. The overall mean score of the study participants was 4.19 ± 3.44 , showing that most of them had a positive attitude towards the disease of their children.
Conclusion:
This is the first study to investigate the parents’ attitude towards their children affected by leprosy. The study showed that the parents had a positive attitude towards their child’s disease.
More information
Type
Journal Article