癌症病童母親的社會支持、健康狀況與其家庭功能的相關因素探討

Exploration of Social Support Available to Mothers of Children with Cancer, Their Health Status, and Other Factors Related to Their Family Function

當兒童罹患癌症時，母親通常為主要照顧者，母親需長期照顧病童而造成家庭角色、功能、和生活型態的改變或不平衡。本研究目的為探討癌症病童家庭的社會支持、健康狀況與其家庭功能的相關因素。研究方法採用橫斷式研究設計，以結構式問卷於2006年1月至4月間，由南部兩間醫學中心住院治療及門診追蹤的癌症病童母親填答，共收集120位資料。問卷內容包括人口學特性（病童、母親及家庭屬性）、社會支持之個人資源量表第二部份、杜克健康評估問卷、家庭評估量表。結果發現癌症病童家庭：社會支持平均值為131.21分（總分175分），標準化得分為75.0分；健康標準化得分為67.15分；家庭功能平均值128.48分（總分240分），標準化得分為53.53分。母親年齡、婚姻狀態、家庭型態、家庭社經階層、兒童疾病分期及疾病有無復發與家庭功能在統計上達到顯著差異。母親的社會支持與家庭功能呈正相關，母親的健康狀況亦與家庭功能呈正相關。家庭功能的重要預測變項為母親的健康、社會支持、兒童疾病復發及母親年齡達有效預測性，其解釋變異數為42%。根據本研究結果，健康照護專業人員在實務上可增加促進對母親與病童的健康和社會支持的護理策略，以增強家庭功能，因應病童癌症的治療過程。

The mother is typically the primary caregiver for children suffering from cancer. The long-term care responsibilities involved with caring for a cancer-stricken child impacts upon the mother's family role and functions and causes lifestyle changes or imbalances. The aim of this study was to explore social support, health status, and related factors in families of children with cancer. This study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive design. Study subjects consisted of 120 mothers of children with cancer recruited from the outpatient and inpatient departments of two medical centers in southern Taiwan between January and April 2006. Research instruments included demographic characterizations of the children with cancer, their mothers, and families; the Social Support: Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ85) part 2, the Duke Health Profile (DUKE), and the Family Assessment Device (FAD). Results showed a mean score of social support for mothers of children with cancer was 131.21 out of a total possible 175. The standard score for social support was 75.0. The standard score for health was 67.15. The mean score of family functioning was 128.48 out of a total possible 240. The standard score of family function was 53.53. Mother's age, marriage, family type, family socioeconomic stage, disease stage, and relapse of child's disease all had a statistically significant relationship to family function. Significant positive relationships were identified between the two variables social support and health status and family function. Mother's health, social support, disease relapse, and mother's age were significant predictors of mother's family function, explaining 42% of variance in family function for mothers of children with cancer. We hope findings will help clinical health professionals identify and implement nursing strategies to increase the health of mothers and their children as well as promote social support to strengthen family functions.