A Comparative Study of the Components of Quality of Life and Adjustment in Both Cancer-stricken and Healthy Children: A Cross-sectional Study in Kermanshah City, Iran

  According to the results of epidemiological studies, human beings from various races, colors, cultural, educational and economic backgrounds are affected by cancer worldwide, thereby encouraging researchers to conduct extensive studies in this regard. We aimed to compare the components of quality of life and adjustment in both cancer-stricken and healthy children. In this descriptive-comparative study, the statistical population consisted of two groups: 10-19-year-old children, diagnosed with leukemia, who were referred to Kermanshahi Children’s Hospital based in Kermanshah, Iran, and healthy students in elementary, secondary and high schools in Kermanshah. As for the sample population, 80 subjects were selected from each group through convenience sampling. As for data collection, the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) scale, and the Adjustment Inventory for School Students (AISS) scale were employed. Mean of quality of life in healthy female subjects measured 105.93±10.70, which exceeded that of subjects with cancer. In contrast, the mean of adjustment of girls in the normal group was 19±5.12, which was better than that of subjects with cancer. Furthermore, in terms of the components of adjustment, the male subjects in the cancer group had the highest mean and standard deviation (12.20±1.37), which was an indication of their lack of compatibility. Besides, the results of MANOV revealed that there were significant differences between the two groups in terms of the components of quality of life and adjustment at the significance level of P<0.001. According to the findings, children with cancer had significantly lower levels of quality of life and adjustment in comparison with healthy children.