Relationship Between Parental Stress and their Attitudes Towards Cochlear Implantation Outcomes in Children Referred to Besat Cochlear Implant Center in Hamadan 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental stress and their attitudes towards post-cochlear implantation outcomes in children referred to Besat cochlear implant center in Hamadan during 2018. Design and methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 100 parents of children with cochlear implantation were selected from Besat cochlear implant center in Hamadan through census method from April to October 2018. The data were collected using a demographic characteristic questionnaire, parental stress scale developed by Berry and Jones, and Parental Attitudes of Various Aspects of Cochlear Implantation. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16) through correlation coefficient, one-way ANOVA, and t-test. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically signi ficant. Results: The results of this study indicated that parental stress negatively correlated with their attitudes towards the outcomes of cochlear implantation (r =-0.420), including the aspects of communication (r =-0.462), ed- ucational (r =-0.398), and social skills (r =-0.445), as well as services provided by the health care centers (r =-0.277), and the ef ficiencies of cochlear implantation center (r =-0.118) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: According to the results, parents with more positive attitudes towards the areas of communication, educational, and social skills, as well as services provided by the health care centers, and the ef ficiencies of co- chlear implantation center experienced lower levels of stress. Practice implications: Nurses can measure the stress and attitudes towards cochlear implantation outcomes in children to accurately assess the needs of the family in order to improve their nursing process and advance the child's rehabilitation program. (c) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.