Quality of life in thalassemic school aged children of Kerman special diseases center in 2010

Thalassemia syndrome is a hereditary hemoglobinopathy that is transferred to individual of mutations in the genes alpha or beta goblin chain manufacturer. In beta thalassemia, there is impaired in manufacturer beta chain gene. If both beta genes are defective, a person will catch thalassemia and severe anemia. Thalassemia is one of the most common human chronic diseases in the world and it provides many problems for patients, families and health care system. The prevalence of thalassemia in Iran is about 4-3 percent of the total population. Statistics over of this disease and a variety of physical, mental and social disorders in patients were showed high rate of disorder in the normal routine of life in patients and increasing the psychological pressure and stress in their family. This study aimed to assess the quality of life in school-aged children with Thalassemia disease. This cross-sectional study was done to evaluate the quality of life in school-age children that came to thalassemia center for receiving blood. The research tool included: the questionnaires of demographic information and general quality of life questionnaire for children (peds qol) version 4. They were used after determination of content validity and estimation of reliability by internal correlation method. After collecting data, the statistical software SPSS Version 15 and descriptive and analytical statistical tests appropriate for research purposes of data analysis were used. The findings from research were indicated quality of life of patients in various aspects of thalassemia disease. According to the obtained results, aspects of physical and emotional functions of quality of life in these patients had lower scores. Mean of physical aspect was: 7.83 ±2.68 and for emotional was 4.87 ±2.26. Aspect of school function had highest level and its’ mean was 8.02 ± 2.68. Thalassemia patients had severe psychological and social problems. Medical therapy with emotional, psychological and social support should be combined for improve the quality of life in these patients that could be prevented to create irreversible effects in these people