The Relationship between Family Cohesion and Quality of Life in Patients with beta-thalassemia Major: A Study in Southwestern Iran

Introduction: Thalassemia is a group of genetic disorders caused by defects in the production of certain hemoglobin chains that beta-thalassemia is the most common recurrent type of this inherited blood disorder. The quality of life of patients with thalassemia is low for several reasons. Considering the effects that family cohesion has on improving the complications of this disease and quality of life and that a limited study has been done in this field and the effect of family cohesion in improving the quality of life of patients with beta- thalassemia major has received less attention, this The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between family cohesion and quality of life of people with beta-thalassemia major in Iran in Behbahan during 2019. Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional analytical study that aims to investigate the relationship between family cohesion and quality of life of people with beta-thalassemia major in Behbahan, Iran in 2019 on 101 patients with thalassemia major who were admitted to Shahidzadeh Hospital. They had visited Behbahan. Inclusion criteria were: having thalassemia major, having the patient's consent to participate in the study, having full consciousness, having literacy, and having at least one history of hospitalization. Exclusion criteria included incomplete questionnaire completion. Data collection tools included three questionnaires of demographic characteristics, mouse family cohesion (2009), and quality of life SF_36. And the method of data collection was based on self-report and filling out questionnaires. Finally, the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS software version 18 and Chi-square, independent t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: There was a statistically significant relationship between marriage and quality of life and surgical history and family cohesion (P <0.05). The relationship between other demographic variables and quality of life and family cohesion was not significant (P >0.05). There was no statistically significant correlation between the quality of life and its dimensions and total family cohesion score (P >0.05). Conclusion: The final result of the present study showed that there is no statistically significant correlation between the quality of life and its dimensions and the total score of family cohesion in patients with thalassemia major in Behbahan. Evaluation of indicators and factors related to the quality of life in patients with thalassemia major is an essential first step in optimizing clinical and psychological support.

Beta-thalassemia, Family Cohesion, Quality of Life.