Caregivers’ reaction to care of children with sickle cell anaemia in Benin City, Nigeria

Aim/Background: Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is the commonest haemoglobinopathy in Nigeria with an incidence of 2-3%. It is a chronic haemolytic anaemic disorder with varied severity of symptoms amongst patients. Chronic physical illnesses are known to provoke psychosocial dysfunction in affected children and their caregivers. This study objectively assessed the reaction of caregivers to the care of their wards with SCA in this locale. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectionaldescriptive study, conducted at the Sickle Cell Centre, Benin City over 8-months period. The Caregivers Reaction Assessment tool(designed to assess specific aspects of the care-giving, including both negative and positive dimensions of caregiving reactions) was administered to the caregivers of children with SCA attending the centre. Results: The 105 respondents studied comprised 17 (16.2%) males and 88 (83.8%) females. Eighty five (81%) of the mothers and 91 (86.6%) of the fathers had at least secondary level of education. Self-esteem, of all the subscale measures, had the highest mean score (4.63 ± 0.50). Self-esteemand lack of family support subscalehad high reliability (internal consistency) with Cronbach α of 0.73 each while financial problem subscalehad moderate reliability with Cronbach α of 0.58. High mean scores were found for disrupted schedule, financial and health problems which imply negative impact on caregivers. Conclusion: Most caregivers experienced disrupted schedules, financial and health problems possibly because SCA crises are acute problems and  may require sudden hospital admission with attendant financial and psychological stress to caregivers. The impact of caregiving on self-esteem was positive suggesting high self-esteem among caregivers. Keywords: Caregivers, reaction, children, sickle cell anaemia, Nigeria