Access Type

Open Access Dissertation

Date of Award

January 2021

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Hossien Yarandi

Abstract

ABSTRACTExploring the Association of Health Belief and Spiritual Coping with the Use of Complementary Medicine by Parents of Children and Adolescents with Cancer in Saudi Arabia

byLOGAYN HUSSAMALDIN 2021 Advisor: Hossein N. Yarandi Major: Nursing Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a term applied to treatments that are not part of conventional medicine, and in some cases, they may be used instead of conventional medicine. One national study and several international studies have identified the frequency of CM use in pediatric populations. The overall frequency of CM use among children in Saudi Arabia reached 87.8%-95% in 2011 (Al Sudairy et al., 2011). Other than a single study (Al Sudairy et al., 2011), research on the use of CM among the pediatric oncology population in Saudi Arabia is absent, despite CM being a culturally and religiously common practice. the purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of CM use explore the relationship between parents’ health belief and parents spiritual coping and the use of CM in the patient population. Specifically, the study will address the following specific aims: Specific Aim 1: Examine the difference in spiritual coping and health belief between parents that use or not use CM. Specific Aim 2: Examine the effect of spiritual coping and health belief on CM use and its frequency. Method: A self-report web-based survey design conducted to describe the use of CM and identify the factors associated with this use. A convenient sample of 90 parents of children with cancer were enrolled in the study. The inclusion criteria were parents/guardian of child diagnosed with cancer between the age of 2 to <18 years and speak, read, and understand Arabic. Only one parent/guardian per child were included in the study. Children who were diagnosed within one month of data collection and terminally were excluded. Results: almost 50% of parents used at least one type of CM in the last 12 months. The most frequently employed CM were spiritual and religious healing practices, which included: reciting Quran, supplication, prayer, and holy water. Natural products used such as olive oil honey, and black seed. The most frequent reported medical treatment-related reasons were to complement medical treatment and medical treatment's side effects. Friends and other parents were found to be the main sources of information about CM for children with cancer. More than half (53.3%) of parents did not report CM use to child’s healthcare. Parents who used CM had significantly higher mean positive spiritual coping scores and had significantly higher mean health belief scores (p < 0.001). A statistically significant association between HB, SPP and the frequency of natural products and mind/body approaches. Child age, time since diagnosis, health belief, positive spiritual, and negative spiritual were all predictors of CM use in pediatric cancer population. Conclusion: at least one type of CM used by pediatric oncology population in Saudi Arabia, and health belief and spiritual coping are predictors of CM use. A mutual collaboration between public policy, academic institutions, healthcare facilities, and healthcare providers to initiate a policy and intervention to improve cancer patients' awareness of CM use's safety and efficacy, particularly during the treatment course.

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