EXPECTATIONS FOR LIFE AMONG GREEK TEENAGE THALASSAEMICS

Ioannis Koutelekos, Constantine Vassalos, Maria Polikandrioti, Alexandros Makis, Antigoni Sarantaki, Helen Kyritsi, Nikolaos Haliasos

Monday, January 1, 2018

Publication year:

2018

Authors:

• Koutelekos Ioannis, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Nursing A',Technological Educational Institute of Athens
• Vassalos Constantine, 1. Medical Doctor - Hygienist, MScPH, MScHM, PhD
• Polikandrioti Maria, Assistant Professor,Department of Nursing,Technological Educational Institute of Athens
• Makis Alexandros, Assistant Professor, Medical School, University of Ioannina
• Sarantaki Antigoni, Lecturer Midwifery Department Τ.Ε.Ι. of Athens
• Kyritsi Helen, Professor Emeritus of Paediatric Nursing, Department of Nursing Faculty of Health and Caring Professions, Technological Educational Institute of Athens (TEI)
• Haliasos Nikolaos, Associate Professor of Pediatrics-Hematology, Medical School, University of Ioannina

Keywords index:

• expectations for life
• thalassaemia
• teenagers

Pages: 50-62

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1401472

Abstract:

Objective: To investigate expectations for life of today’s Greek teenagers with thalassaemia, a hereditary disease, in association with their characteristics. Material and methods: A total of 74 thalassaemic teenagers participated in the study. Data collection was conducted using the "Multidimensional Expectations Questionnaire for Thalassaemia Major Patients” version for thalassaemic children and a questionnaire on teenage thalassaemic patients’ characteristics (socio-demographic; health condition management). Descriptive and multiple regression analysis were performed; semi-partial coefficient-squared (sr²) was used to explore the importance of possible contributors to thalassaemic teenagers’ life expectations. Results: Thalassaemic teenagers had high overall expectation score (3.10) and family-creating/everyday-life expectation score (3.15) positively correlated with better knowledge of advanced therapies (sr²=0.12; sr²=0.15, respectively). Likewise, their friend-networking expectation was high (sr²=0.07) interpreted by oral chelation administration (sr²=0.07). Their professional-perspective expectation average score was 2.68; it was positively correlated (sr²=0.10) with their close relations with caring nursing staff. Conclusions: Greek teenage thalassaemics had great expectations for their life and they anticipated to have a network of friends as they can participate in social gatherings due to the freedom of movement offered them by oral chelation. Their good knowledge on advanced therapies helped them to project their desire for family and everyday life to the future, while their close proximity to nurses helped them to decide their career they may pursue in the future