Parental Self-Efficacy as a Predictor of Physical Symptom Management in Children with Leukemia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Leukemia is the most common type of cancer in children and causes various physical disorders due to diseases and side effects of chemotherapy. Physical disorders such as anemia, nausea, vomiting, pain, fatigue, and decreased appetite require an active role of parents in child care. Parents' self-efficacy is an important factor in determining their ability to manage their child's condition during the treatment process. This study aims to determine the relationship between parental self-efficacy and physical disorders in children with leukemia cancer at the Padang Community Light Foundation in 2025. This study uses a correlational descriptive quantitative design with a cross sectional approach. The population in this study is all parents who have children with leukemia cancer at Yayasan Cahaya Komunitas Padang as many as 168 respondents with a total sampling technique. Data collection used  the Self Efficacy for Parenting Task Index (SEPTI) questionnaire to measure parental self-efficacy as well as a questionnaire on children's physical disorders. Data analysis was carried out univariate and bivariate. The results showed that the distribution of the level of self-efficacy of parents was mostly in the high category, and some children experienced physical disorders in the medium category. Bivariate analysis showed a significant relationship between parental self-efficacy and physical impairment in children with leukemia (p < 0.05). The conclusion of this study is that the higher the self-efficacy of parents, the better their ability to manage physical disorders experienced by children. It is hoped that health workers can increase educational interventions and psychosocial support to strengthen parents' self-efficacy in the treatment of children with leukemia.