title: Caregivers of Children with Congenital Heart Disease: Does Socioeconomic Class Have Any Effect on Their Perceptions?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies from other parts of the world have documented knowledge gaps in parents of children with congenital heart disease (CHD). The authors are not aware of any study in the Nigerian population assessing the effect of socioeconomic class on the perceptions of caregivers of children with CHD.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed to evaluate the effect of socioeconomic class on the perceptions of caregivers of children with CHD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive and cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in a tertiary pediatric cardiac center involving 300 caregivers of children with CHD, recruited at the outpatient clinic from April 2008 to March 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age range of the respondents was 16 to 72 years with a mean of 34.7 ± 8.1 years. Forty percent (119) of the caregivers had not heard about CHD; those in the upper socioeconomic class had better awareness (P = .02). Ninety percent of all the respondents knew that the cause of CHD is unknown. Only seven of the respondents (2.3%) had a good knowledge of the indicators, while 9.6% had a fair knowledge, almost 60% of the respondent had a poor knowledge, and up to 30% had no knowledge of the pointers. Nearly one-fifth (19.3%) of the respondents were not aware of any treatment options for children with CHD. Only 12.7% of the respondents knew the best mode of treatment, and only 43% of the respondents believed CHD could be prevented. Further analysis revealed that there was no statistically significant difference between the various socioeconomic classes with regard to knowledge of the indicators of CHD, awareness of the best mode of treatment, and perception of preventability (P = .06, .74, and .13, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More parents in the upper socioeconomic class had heard about CHD. However, most parents of children with CHD had poor knowledge of CHD, its indicators, its best mode of treatment, and its preventability, irrespective of their socioeconomic class. Our findings suggest an urgent need to develop an educational program to promote better understanding of CHD among caregivers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Adeola
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Animasahun
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Omolara
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kehinde
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olabode
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Falase
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olumuyiwa
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Odusanya
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Fidelis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Njokanma
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Caregivers; Congenital Heart Disease; Parents; Perception