Effectiveness of a family empowerment program on caregiving capacity and adverse mood in caregivers of children with acute leukemia: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract Background Family-centered empowerment programs have been widely used in the pediatric field. Therefore, the current study investigated the effectiveness of family empowerment programs on caregiving ability and adverse mood among caregivers of children with acute leukemia. Objective To evaluate the effect of a family empowerment program on the caregiving ability and adverse mood of caregivers of children with acute leukemia. Methods Sixty-eight children with acute leukemia and their family caregivers admitted to our hospital were selected for the study. The control group received routine care during hospitalization, and the family empowerment program was implemented in the intervention group to compare the changes in caregiving capacity (FCTI), illness uncertainty (PPUS) and anxiety(SAS)of the caregivers of the two groups. Results After 8 weeks of intervention, the FCTI score of the intervention group was significantly lower than that of the control group ( P < 0.001), and the difference between the scores before and after the intervention was statistically significant ( P < 0.001); the PPUS score of the intervention group was significantly lower than that of the control group ( P < 0.05), and the difference between the scores before and after the intervention was statistically significant ( P < 0.001); the SAS score of the intervention group was lower than that of the control group after intervention( P < 0.05), and the score difference before and after intervention was statistically significant ( P < 0.001). Conclusion Family empowerment program is beneficial in improving caregiving capacity and reducing disease uncertainty and anxiety among caregivers of children with acute leukemia. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2300073476 2023-07-12 Retrospectively registered.