IADR Abstract Archives
Evaluation of Societal Stigmatization and Sense of Coherence of Parents of Children With Cleft Lip and Palate at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital
Objectives: To assess the experience of societal stigmatization and the SOC of parents of children with CL/P and determine if their SOC is affected by their societal experiences of stigmatization
Methods: All consenting parents of children attending the cleft clinic of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, for the first time, were included in the sample population. Data collection was done at the first visit using a 20-item interviewer-administered questionnaire to access parental and societal stigmatization and the sense of coherence questionnaire to assess the sense of coherence of the parents. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26. Data was collected over a 6-month period
Results: A total of 31 parents of children with cleft lip or palate were sampled. The mean age of the parents was 32.15 (SD = 6.9, range 17–44) years, and 90.3% (n = 28) were mothers. The median age of the patients was 0.83 (IQR 0.06 – 5.0) years, 58.1% (n=18) were females; cleft palate only was the most common diagnosis (n=12, 38.7%), 41.9% (n=13) were the first child. Five (16.1%) reported being ashamed of having their child, and the immediate reaction of most (n=18, 58.1%) to having a child with cleft was to seek help, only one respondent reported wishing the child was never born (3.2%), three (9.7%) reported their spouse being ashamed of the child, eight (25.8%) reported their relatives being ashamed of the child, six (19.4%) reported friends and neighbors being ashamed of the child, three (9.7%) reported having an experience of being treated badly or like an outcast by relatives, neighbors and friends, two (6.5%) reported friends, neighbors and relatives refusing to carry the baby, and three (9.7%) reported being accused by relatives, neighbors, and friends off doing something bad to cause the child’s condition. The mean overall sense of coherence score was 44.39 (SD 8.09)
Conclusions: This study shows that stigmatization is associated with a CL/P diagnosis even in the urban center where this study was conducted. It also shows parents with CL/P children have a suboptimal sense of coherence. It is therefore important to address issues of stigmatization, mental health, and emotional wellbeing among parents
Methods: All consenting parents of children attending the cleft clinic of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, for the first time, were included in the sample population. Data collection was done at the first visit using a 20-item interviewer-administered questionnaire to access parental and societal stigmatization and the sense of coherence questionnaire to assess the sense of coherence of the parents. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26. Data was collected over a 6-month period
Results: A total of 31 parents of children with cleft lip or palate were sampled. The mean age of the parents was 32.15 (SD = 6.9, range 17–44) years, and 90.3% (n = 28) were mothers. The median age of the patients was 0.83 (IQR 0.06 – 5.0) years, 58.1% (n=18) were females; cleft palate only was the most common diagnosis (n=12, 38.7%), 41.9% (n=13) were the first child. Five (16.1%) reported being ashamed of having their child, and the immediate reaction of most (n=18, 58.1%) to having a child with cleft was to seek help, only one respondent reported wishing the child was never born (3.2%), three (9.7%) reported their spouse being ashamed of the child, eight (25.8%) reported their relatives being ashamed of the child, six (19.4%) reported friends and neighbors being ashamed of the child, three (9.7%) reported having an experience of being treated badly or like an outcast by relatives, neighbors and friends, two (6.5%) reported friends, neighbors and relatives refusing to carry the baby, and three (9.7%) reported being accused by relatives, neighbors, and friends off doing something bad to cause the child’s condition. The mean overall sense of coherence score was 44.39 (SD 8.09)
Conclusions: This study shows that stigmatization is associated with a CL/P diagnosis even in the urban center where this study was conducted. It also shows parents with CL/P children have a suboptimal sense of coherence. It is therefore important to address issues of stigmatization, mental health, and emotional wellbeing among parents