English abstract
Background: A diagnosis of cancer can have a profound social, emotional, financial, and
psychological impact, both on patients as well as their families and caregivers. Thorough
assessment and evaluation are essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of the actual
needs of family members who provide care to sick children, the importance of these needs,
and their sense of satisfaction in fulfilling these needs. The aim of this study was to explore
the perceptions of family caregivers of Omani children diagnosed with leukemia regarding
their caregiving needs and the degree of importance of such needs. It also aimed to
determine the extent of their satisfaction in terms of the fulfillment of these needs.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the National Oncology Center of Royal
Hospital, Muscat, Oman. All adult family members who accompanied a child diagnosed
with leukemia were invited to participate in the study. The data were collected between 19th
May 2020 and 12th November 2020 via self-administered questionnaires. A tool adapted
from Kuan's Chinese Family Caregiver Needs Survey was used to identify the perceived
degree of importance and level of satisfaction of 60 specific items under seven different
domains of caregiving needs according to the caregivers. A stepwise regression analysis
was used to determine independent predictors of overall satisfaction.
Results A total of 134 out of 152 caregivers agreed to take part in the study
(response rate: 88.2%). The domains of accompanying the sick child and obtaining
information were perceived by the caregivers to have the highest levels of both
importance and satisfaction (importance mean score of 3.36 and 3.75; satisfaction
mean score: 3.09 and 2.97) whereas the domain of facilitating the continuous
growth and development of the child recorded the lowest levels of importance and
satisfaction (importance mean score of 2.71, satisfaction mean score of 2.46). The
stepwise regression analysis showed that level of satisfaction with the domains of
communicating with health professionals and the medical team, preserving the
strength of the caregiver, and accompanying the sick child (partial R= 0.31, -0.35,
0.42, respectively
