Table 1
Socio-demographic characteristics: (N = 160)
Gender (%) | Male | 67 (41.9) | Work (%) | Unemployed | 33 (20.6) |
Female | 93 (58.1) | Employee | 22 (13.8) |
Age (%) | 10–15 | 21 (13.1) | Housekeeper | 8 (5) |
16–20 | 59 (36.9) | Freelancing work | 29 (18.1) |
21–30 | 58 (36.3) | Student | 68 (42.5) |
31–40 | 20 (12.5) |
41–50 | 1 (0.6) |
51–60 | 1 (0.6) |
Smoking (%) | Yes | 46 (28.8) |
No | 114 (71.3) |
Residence (%) | Damascus | 37 (23.1) | Packets/year (%) | < 1 | 13 (8.1) |
Rural Damascus | 107 (66.9) | 2–5 | 25 (15.6) |
Aleppo | 5 (3.1) | 6–10 | 4 (2.5) |
Qunaitira | 1 (0.6) | 11–20 | 6 (3.8) |
Daraa | 10 (6.3) | > 20 | 2 (1.3) |
Education level (%) | Elementary school | 23 (14.4) |
Middle school | 62 (38.8) | Income (%) | Low | 42 (26.3) |
Highschool | 28 (17.5) | | Moderate | 90 (56.3) |
Undergraduate | 43 (26.9) | Good | 26 (16.3) |
High | 2 (1.3) |
Illiterate | 4 (2.5) | Family members (%) | 2–3 | 19 (11.9) |
| | > 3 | 141 (88.1) |
Socio-demographics characteristics:
Out of 160 patients with thalassemia who participated in the study 67 (41.9%) were males and 93 (58.1%) were females. Participants’ ages ranged from 10–60 years, with a largest percentage age group was between 16–20 years. The majority of participants were residents of Damascus/ Rural Damascus 144 (90%). The prevalence of smoking was 46(28.8%), 25(15.6%) smoked 2–5 packets per year. With regard to educational level, 14.4%, 38.8%, 17.5%, and 26.9% of the participants completed the elementary, middle, high school, and university levels, respectively. In terms of income, 90 (56.3%) have a moderate income, and only 28 (17.6%) have a good to high income level.
Table 2
factors affecting the quality of life and thalassemia prognosis
Type of thalassemia | N (%) | Age of diagnosing | N (%) |
Minor | 18 (11.3) | <1 year | 111 (69.4) |
Intermedia | 21 (13.1) | 1–5 years | 38 (23.8) |
Major | 121 (75.6) | 6–10 years | 7 (4.4) |
>10 years | 4 (2.5) |
History of splenectomy | N (%) | History of using iron chelators | N (%) |
Yes | 111 (69.4) | Yes | 152 (95) |
No | 49 (30.6) | No | 8 (5) |
Blood transfusion frequency | N (%) | Type of iron chelator | N (%) |
Every week | 6 (3.8) | Oral | 65 (40.6) |
Every 2 weeks | 48 (30) | Venous | 3 (1.9) |
Every 3 weeks | 29 (18.1) | Mixed | 9 (5.6) |
Every month | 59 (36.9) | Other | 77 (48.1) |
Every 2–3 months | 15 (9.4) |
Others | 3 (1.9) |
Adherence to treatment | N (%) |
Daily commitment | 49 (30.6) |
Forget it once or twice a week | 34 (21.3) |
I don’t forget it, but it is too late for it | 7 (4.4) |
I forget it more than twice a week | 65 (40.6) |
Not use | 5 (3.1) |
Major thalassemia was detected in 121 (75.6%) of the thalassemia patients in our study, with 111 (69.4%) being diagnosed before the age of one year. Patients with the same prior percent had splenectomy, and 48 (30%) and 59 (36.7%) received blood transfusions every two weeks and monthly, respectively. 40.6% of patients did not remember to take their prescription and did not commit to taking it more than twice a week. A total of 152 (95%) patients were identified as having previously utilized iron chelators (Table 2).
Table 3. shows the patients' categories for the intensity of DAS symptoms based on their DASS 21 results. The study population's mean depression score was 1.8 (SD = 1.46), with a range between 0 to 14, with 31% (50) of the participants falling into the severe to extremely severe stress category, 25.6% (41) in the moderate category, and 15% (24) in the mild category. The remaining subjects (28%; 45) were assigned normal.
The trial patient's mean anxiety score was 2.41 (SD = 1.50), with a range of 0 to 10. We found that 51% (81) of the individuals had severe to extremely severe anxiety, 25.6% (41) had moderate anxiety, and 3.1% (5) had mild anxiety, while the remaining of the participants (21%; 33) had normal anxiety.
The trial patient's mean stress score was 1.68 (SD = 1.40), with a range of 0 to 17. The researchers discovered that 29% (46) of the subjects were experiencing severe to extremely severe stress, 27.5% (44) were suffering from moderate stress, and 13.1% (21) were experiencing light stress, while the rest (30.6%; 49) were having normal stress.
Table 3
Severity of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms based on DASS-21 score among the participants.
Stress | Normal (0–7) | 49 (30.6) |
Mild (8–9) | 21 (13.1) |
Moderate (10–12) | 44 (27.5) |
Severe (13–16) | 24 (15) |
Extremely severe (+ 17) | 22 (13.8) |
Anxiety | Normal (0–3) | 33 (20.6) |
Mild (4–5) | 5 (3.1) |
Moderate (6–7) | 41 (25.6) |
Severe (8–9) | 25 (15.6) |
Extremely severe (+ 10) | 56 (35) |
Depression | Normal (0–4) | 45 (28.1) |
Mild (5–6) | 24 (15) |
Moderate (7–10) | 41 (25.6) |
Severe (11–13) | 19 (11.9) |
Extremely severe (+ 14) | 31 (19.4) |