Relationship between knowledge and attitude among caregivers who utilize mobile health technology in home care given to their children with cancer
Mahmoud R.S. Ahmed, Nagat S. Habib, Inas H. Elshaeer, Walaa Elsayed MohamedBackground
Mobile health technology is increasingly recognized as an effective tool for managing chronic illnesses, including childhood cancer. However, mobile health technology has exposed a complex relationship between caregivers’ knowledge and attitudes, where enhanced understanding of digital health tools is not automatically translated into positive attitudes and optimal application.
Aim
To assess the relationship between knowledge and attitude among caregivers utilizing mobile health technology in home care given to their children with cancer.
Design
A descriptive correlation research design was utilized in this study.
Setting
The study was conducted at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University.
Sample
A purposive sample of 363 caregivers of school-aged children with cancer was recruited during the data collection period.
Tools
Data was collected using three tools. First: caregivers and cancer children demographic and medical data questionnaire, second: caregivers’ knowledge toward care given by using mobile health technology-interviewing questionnaire, and third: caregivers’ attitude regarding mobile health technology.
Results
The results revealed that the mean age of parents was 33.10±3.82, and the mean age of studied children with cancer was 10.76±3.72. The total mean knowledge score of parents was 26.6±4.7, and the total mean attitude score of parents was 49.3±8.1. There is a significant, strong direct positive correlation between the knowledge and attitude of studied parents regarding mobile health technology (
Conclusion
The caregivers of children with cancer had moderate to good levels of total knowledge and a positive attitude toward mobile health technology. The caregivers’ attitudes are significantly influenced by education level (
Recommendations
Improve caregivers’ knowledge and attitude of caregivers toward mobile health technology utilization for their cancer children.