Exploring knowledge of parents and caregivers on cancer symptoms in children: an observational study regarding the need for educational tools and health promotion in low- and middle-income countries

Abstract

Background: Although most cases of childhood cancer are unlikely to be prevented, by today's standards, most children with cancer can now be cured. However, disparities about survival exist among countries; in Mexico, the overall survival is 49.6%, with 70% of childhood cancers diagnosed at advanced stages. Therefore, parents and caregivers must have optimal knowledge of the early signs and symptoms of childhood malignancies as they are largely non-specific. This study was designed to explore the current knowledge of childhood cancer among parents and caregivers in Mexico and identify the need for education and health promotion in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods: An online survey of 112 parents and caregivers was performed to assess their knowledge of childhood cancer, focusing on the signs and symptoms and early diagnostic strategies.

Results: Sixty-nine (61.6%) mothers, 23 (20.5%) fathers, 17 (15.2%) familiar caregivers, and 3 (2.7%) non-familiar caregivers responded. Forty-six (41.1%) respondents said that they knew a child diagnosed with cancer, 92.9% mentioned leukemia as the most common type of cancer among children, the most highly ranked option when asked which sign/symptom they considered as a warning for suspicion was growth/lump in any part of the body, 97.3% considered that an early diagnosis is related to a higher cure rate, and 92.9% expressed the desire to receive reliable information about childhood cancer.

Conclusions: Although parents and caregivers have some knowledge of childhood cancer, there are concepts that should be reinforced to improve their understanding of this group of diseases, as they are the frontline for children to seek medical attention. In the future, the use of tools that help educate more caregivers will strengthen knowledge and contribution regarding this issue and promote the generation of public policies that support the early diagnosis of childhood cancer.

Keywords: Cancer symptoms; Caregivers; Childhood cancer; Children; Education; Health promotion; Knowledge; Parents.