How do parents deal with their children’s chronic kidney disease? A qualitative study
Abstract Background: Parents’ adaptation has an impact on the health outcomes of children with chronic kidney diseases (CKD). Identifying factors that affect parents’ adaptation is necessary to fully understand their adaptation status. This study aims to explore parents’ adaptation with their child chronic disease and to determine related factors.Methods: This was a qualitative study with a content analysis approach. Sixteen parents of children with CKD were selected by using the purposive sampling. The nursing PhD candidate performed semi-structured in-depth face-to-face interviews to collect data. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze data.Results: Two main categories were extracted from the data were “adaptation facilitators” and “adaptation barriers”. Adaptation facilitators supported by three sub-categories: “social support”, “positive aspects of life”, “spiritual beliefs”. Five sub-categories of “adaptation barriers” were revealed as follows: “parents’ confusion”, “the disease related issues”, “pressures from peers and acquaintances”, “inappropriate treatment conditions” and “children and family limitation”.Conclusions: Two types of factors that influence parents’ adaptation were identified. The treatment team must evaluate these factors to help parents to adapt to their child’s illness by identifying and eliminating the adaptation barriers, and identifying and using the adaptation facilitators.