TITLE:
Assessment of the Quality of Life of Parents of Children with Hemophilia in Yaounde, Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Ginette Claude Mireille Kalla, Annick Ndoumba Nkengue, Emilie Solange Tangmeu Silinou, Marcelle Nina Ehouzou Mandeng, Nelly Kamgaing Noubi, Claude Tayou Tagny
KEYWORDS:
Hemophilia, Quality of Life, Parents, Yaounde, Cameroon
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.16 No.3,
May
11,
2026
ABSTRACT: Introduction: The complexity of hemophilia care and its complications can have a negative impact on children with hemophilia and their families. Our objective was to assess the quality of life of parents of children with hemophilia in Yaounde. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analytical and prospective study over a period of 5 months. Children with hemophilia aged 1 to 18 years who were followed up at the Yaounde University Teaching Hospital and their parents were included. Sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and clinical variables were collected. The Hemophilia Associated Caregiver Burden Scale (HEMOCAB) questionnaire was used to assess parents’ quality of life. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0 software. The significance threshold was set at p Results: The study involved 53 parents and 65 children with hemophilia. The average age of the children was 10.6 ± 5.3 years. The majority had hemophilia A (86.2%), of whom 67.7% had severe hemophilia. The majority of parents who responded were mothers (83%). The most represented age group was [31-40] years old. Most had at least one child with hemophilia (81.1%). Half worked part-time (50.9%), and for 11 of them, their child’s illness was the reason. Twelve parents had to change jobs (22.6%). The median overall quality of life score was 140 ± 31.71 (51-197). Poor quality of life was observed in 66% of parents. The associated factors of poor quality of life were significant personal sacrifices (p = 0.001), poor relationships with others (p = 0.030), poor interaction of the child with others (p = 0.011), poor interaction with the child’s school (p = 0.002), poor management of the child’s disease (p = 0.04), and the negative impact of hemophilia on parents (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Two-thirds of parents of children with hemophilia have a poor quality of life. Consideration should be given to implementing health policies and targeted interventions focused on medical and psychosocial support for these families.