The Effect of Constipation on Quality of Life in Child Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Abstract Purpose This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of constipation on quality of life in paediatric patients receiving chemotherapy. Methods This study was carried out in a descriptive cross-sectional research design with 60 children and their parents in the outpatient chemotherapy unit of a university hospital. Data were collected face-to-face by means of questionnaires. Results It was determined that 70% of the children receiving chemotherapy experienced constipation. A significant correlation was found between having a female gender and experiencing constipation (p˂0.05). The quality of life of parents of children with constipation was low. At the same time, there is significance between experiencing constipation and parental quality of life (p˂0.05). Among children with constipation, 61.9% reported that they perceived constipation as a very important problem.