%0 Journal Article
%T Health Related Quality of Life among Children with Sickle Cell Anaemia  in Northwestern Tanzania
%A Zivonishe Mwazyunga
%A Emmanuela E. Ambrose
%A Neema Kayange
%A Respicious Bakalemwa
%A Benson Kidenya
%A Luke R. Smart
%A Adolfine Hokororo
%J Open Journal of Blood Diseases
%P 11-28
%@ 2164-3199
%D 2022
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/ojbd.2022.122002
%X <b><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Background:</span></b><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\"> Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is a serious, multisystem, genetic disorder
affecting millions of children worldwide. The disease causes nume</span><span style=\"font-family:'';\"><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">rous complications that interfere with the health-related quality of life
(HRQoL) of these children including an impact on educational, physical and
psychosocial development. Few studies have described the clinical spectrum and
quality of life of children with SCA living in a low-resource area. </span><b><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Objectives: </span></b><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">This study aimed to determine the clinical spectrum and HRQoL among
children living </span><span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">with sickle cell anaemia
(SCA) in northwest Tanzania. </span><b><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Methods: </span></b><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">This hospita</span></span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">l-</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">based cross-sectional study took place at Tertiary
and teaching hospital, Bu</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">gando Medical Centre, Mwanza Tanzania.</span></span><span style=\"font-family:'';\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:'';\"><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">The study enrolled children ages 2 - 12 years old with SCA attending the
Bugando Medical Centre sickle cell clinic. Health related quality of life was
measured using the Pediatric Quality of Life, Brief Generic Core Scale after
translating from English into a Swahili version. Important SCA complications
were assessed using a structured questionnaire. </span><b><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Results:</span></b><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\"> From October
2016 to March 2017, 204 children were </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">enrolled.
Participants presented at a median age of 6 years [IQR 4 - 9]. A</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">mong
children with SCA the most common clinical signs at the time of enrolment were
pale in 69.6% (142/204), jaundice in 65.9% (134/204), oxygen saturation &lt;</span></span><span style=\"font-family:'';\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:'';\"><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">90% in 25% (51/204) and splenomegaly in 19% (39/204). Severe anaemia was
observed in 30.9% (63/204). A majority reported vaso-occlusive crisis (166/204,
81.4%), and very few had experienced </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">a
prior stroke
%K Sickle Cell Anaemia
%K Health
%K Quality of Life
%K Children
%K Tanzania
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=117259