Key result
Caregiver anxiety and stress during the interstage period for children with single ventricle physiology were significantly correlated with caregiver gender, age, education, and time spent feeding.
Cross-Sectional (n=56)
Caregivers of children with single ventricle physiology experience significant feeding-related anxiety during the interstage period, which correlates with specific caregiver and child factors.
Caregiver anxiety correlates in single ventricle interstage may warrant targeted screening; observational data leaves open causal links and intervention effects.
INTRODUCTION: Improved weight gain during the interstage (IS) period has been shown to improve overall outcomes in patients with single ventricle physiology (SVP). This emphasis on nutrition may have untoward effects, such as increasing anxiety/stress levels in caregivers, who are already known to be at risk for increased anxiety/stress levels. The goal of this study was to evaluate anxiety/stress levels of caregivers as it pertains to feeding during the IS period and to determine if certain characteristics were associated with higher anxiety/stress scores. METHODS: Caregivers of children with SVP who completed the IS period, defined as the time between the first and second cardiac surgeries, were recruited. Baseline demographics were obtained. Anxiety/stress levels were measured via eight questions using a 0- to 10-point scale. Correlations were performed between demographic variables and anxiety/stress level scores. RESULTS: Fifty-six surveys were completed (39 males, 27 females) on 43 children. Fourteen children required tube feeds during the IS period. There were significant correlations between anxiety/stress scores and caregiver's gender, caregiver's age, caregiver's level of education, percent of time a caregiver spent feeding the child, if caregivers were taking medications for anxiety, and if the child was seen in the emergency room during the IS period. There were no correlation of anxiety/stress scores with caregiver's race, child's underlying cardiac diagnosis, age of child, route of feeding during the IS period, birth order of the child or number of children in the family, relationship status, or distance from the hospital. CONCLUSION: In general, caregivers of children with SVP experience anxiety/stress during the IS period specifically due to feeding concerns. Certain intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics were associated with higher anxiety/stress levels. Future studies are needed to determine how to minimize anxiety/stress levels during this stressful time period.
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Stewart et al. (2015) conducted a cross-sectional in Caregivers of children with single ventricle physiology (SVP) (n=56). Interstage feeding concerns was evaluated on Anxiety/stress levels measured via 0- to 10-point scale. Caregiver anxiety and stress during the interstage period for children with single ventricle physiology were significantly correlated with caregiver gender, age, education, and time spent feeding.
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