•  
  •  
 

Subject Area

Family Medicine

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Objective To assess stress level among mothers of children with Down syndrome (DS) and to determine its associated predictors. Background Having children with an intellectual disability can be a burden for their families. Children with DS are associated with many medical problems that need extra care, follow-up, and even hospitalizations, in addition to cognitive and behavioral problems, so most parents feel stressed and need support. There are very few studies focusing on stress level among parents of children with DS in Egypt. This study focuses on stress level among mothers of children with DS and its associated predictors. Patient and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 mothers of children with DS. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data on stress level and its associated risk factors. Parental stress scale was used to evaluate stress among mothers. Results Overall, 24% of the studied mothers were highly stressed. Less the number of children in the family, lower the mother's educational level, and higher the age of the child with DS were the most influencing factors that increased parental stress. Conclusion Mean parental stress among mothers of children with DS is significantly affected by the increased number of children in the family, the mother's educational level, and the age of their child with DS.

Download

Share

COinS