RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEALTH LITERACY AND CARE BURDEN IN MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS

Background
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between health literacy and caregiving burden in mothers responsible for primary care of chronically ill children.

Material and methods
The study, given a descriptive and analytical design, was conducted between January-May 2023 in Kocaeli province (Türkiye) with mothers (n=131) who had a child diagnosed with a chronic disease for at least one year. Data were collected using the questionnaire, Turkey Health Literacy Scale-32 (THLS-32) and Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale (ZCBS).

Results
The mean age of mothers participating in the study was 36.96±6.56 years. It was found that there was a significant association between the different descriptive characteristics of the mothers participating in the study and the scales. It was found that the mothers had a sufficient level of health literacy (31.3%), with a mean score of 36.00±8.46 on the THLS-32. There is a significant negative correlation (r=-0.201; p=0.022) between the mean scores of THLS-32 and ZCBS of the mothers participating in the study.

Conclusions
As a result of this study, it was found that some demographic characteristics of mothers caring for a child with a chronic illness have an impact on caregiving burden and health literacy. It can be said that as the mother's health literacy increases, the burden of caregiving decreases. Family caregivers should be involved in designed educational and intervention programs to increase their health literacy and self-efficacy.