The effects of the program to promote disease-specific eating behavior towards knowledge and behavior of parents and children with cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Abstract

This research aimed to study effects of a parental education program on eating behavior in pediatric cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The program focused on a crucial role of parents as they closely provided nutritional support to the patients. The program was developed based on the Precede Framework. This study was a quasi-experimental, single group research. Assessment of knowledge and eating behaviors were taken before,  at the same day and 14 days after providing the educational program. The subjects were 31 parents and pediatric cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at the pediatric ward of Maharaj Nakhon Chiang Mai Hospital. The research tools included a test to evaluate nutritional knowledge and a questionnaire to assess patient's eating behavior. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-test and multiple regression analysis.  

The results showed that: after receiving the program, parents' scores on nutrition knowledge were higher than before training. The scores that increased significantly included topics related to types of milk (p = 0.006) and foods that may be at risk of bacterial contamination (p = 0.04). Regarding to the eating behavioral scores, parents who previously received nutritional advice from a medical professional significantly had higher scores (p=0.04). Furthermore, patients who had received chemotherapy for longer period had better scores in eating behavior after the program (p=0.02). In conclusion, the program promoting nutritional knowledge of parents can increase nutritional knowledge and improve better eating behavior and more appropriate food selection among pediatric patients.