Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common hemoglobinopathies present throughout Saudi Arabia. Our study highlighted a side of the disease burden in Qatif city of eastern province. Patients with SCD bear a lot of challenges and having family members or supporters help them to ease the disease impact and suffer. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of sickle cell disease on the patient caregiver quality of life by estimating the prevalence of outcomes and suspected risk factors. Also to compare HRQoL domains according to socio-demographic & health related factors.
Methodology
A descriptive cross-sectional study with convenience sample composed of SCD patients caregivers (n=93), interviewed through the phone using the RAND SF-36 tool to assess the health concepts of QoL. The descriptive and analytical statistics were conducted for all variables using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows.
Results
Male participants scored considerably better than the females. Young adults scored slightly higher in the social functioning subscale. High educated, high family income and living in large family even with multiple patients showed better results. SCD patient health status stability significantly had major positive effect as well as the participants being medically free of chronic diseases. Also receiving help and social support.
Conclusion
This study emphasize the impact of SCD on the patient caregiver QoL, and the findings showed that having chronic illness as well as giving care to a patient with unstable heath condition have the major effect on the domains of health-related quality of life. Social supporting groups are encouraged for the SCD patients and their families to sharing experience, advice, and even financial support.