ABSTRACT
Objective:
To evaluate the quality of life of mothers of Brazilian children with congenital Zika virus syndrome (CZS) and associated factors.
Material and Methods:
This cross-sectional study assessed the quality of life (QoL) of 65 mothers of children diagnosed with CZS using the WHOQOL-bref questionnaire. Information related to mothers and children's characteristics and aspects of QoL (physical, psychological, social and environment domains) was collected. Data were presented using descriptive and inferential statistics. Associations between independent variables and quality of life outcome were carried out through bivariate analyses, adopting a 5% significance level.
Results:
The “physical” domain showed the highest score (65.98 ± 17.62), while the “environment” domain showed the lowest score (48.55 ± 14.75). The quality of life for the physical domain was associated with maternal schooling and child's sex, while the psychological domain was associated with family income and child's sucking difficulty.
Conclusion:
Socioeconomic characteristics and comorbidities were associated with mothers' QoL. Knowledge of QoL determinants and their impact on different dimensions of life can serve as a guide for interventions aimed at improving the QoL of this population.
Keywords:
Disabled Children; Microcephaly; Zika Virus Infection; Child Care; Mothers; Quality of Life