Symptom Frequency and Quality of Life in Two Different Age Groups in Children with Cancer: A Current Overview
Öz
Aim: This study aims to evaluate symptom frequency and the current status of quality of life in children of different age groups undergoing cancer treatment.
Material and Method: The cross-sectional study was conducted in an oncology hospital in eastern Turkey with 146 children aged 7-18 years. Descriptive Information Form, Symptom Frequency Assessment Form, Scale for the Quality of Life in Pediatric Oncology Patients Aged 7-12-Child Form, Scale for Quality of Life in Pediatric Oncology Patients Aged 13-18-Adolescent Form were used for data collection.
Results: The study found that the newly diagnosed children in the 7-12 age group and girls in the 13-18 age group had significantly lower mean Scale for the Quality of Life in Pediatric Oncology Patients scores. The most common symptoms in children aged 7-12 years were restlessness, alopecia, irritability, nausea, whereas sadness, nausea, dry mouth were found in children aged 13-18 years.
Conclusion: The study found that the quality of life was low in children aged 7-12 years and moderate in children aged 13-18. The children aged 7-12 years had more symptoms with higher frequency compared to children aged 13-18 years, and the most common symptoms differed between the age groups.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Cancer, Children, Quality of life, Symptoms, Symptom frequency
Etik Beyan
Before starting the study, approval was obtained from Inonu University Health Sciences Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee (decision no: 2024/3841.
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