QUALITY OF LIFE AND ITS RELATION TO PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT AMONG MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WITH THALASSEMIA IN JEDDAH

Background: Caring for children with thalassemia is a stressful experience in which mothers
encounter a variety of problems.. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between
quality of life and perceived social support in mothers of children with thalassemia in Jeddah.
Design: A descriptive correlational design was used. Setting: This study was conducted at the
Department of Pediatrics of Governmental Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Sample: An adequate
sample of 90 mothers of children with thalassemia meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria
was selected. Three instruments were used for data collection: a structured interview questionnaire
to assess the socio-demographic characteristics of the study subjects, a structured interview
questionnaire, a quality of life scale, and a scale of perceptions of perceived social support.
Results: The results of this study show that less than half of the mothers surveyed (39) had an
average or poor quality of life, and more than a quarter of the mothers (28%) received moderate
perceived social support. It showed that it was. A positive relationship existed between overall
quality of life and overall perceived social support for the mothers studied. The study concluded
that there was a positive relationship between overall quality of life and overall perceived social
support for the mothers surveyed. It was recommended that mothers of children with thalassemia
be provided with educational programs to maintain their mental and physical health and improve
their overall quality of life.