Abstract:
Introduction: Nephrotic Syndrome (NS) is the commonest chronic glomerular disorder characterized
by heavy proteinuria, hypoproteinaemia, oedema and hyperlipidaemia. Parental motivation and
involvement are essential for home management of a child with NS. This study was conducted to assess
caregivers' knowledge and healthcare related practices regarding home management of children with
NS. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among caregivers (n=94) attending
the Paediatric Nephrology Clinic (PNC) at the Teaching Hospital Karapitiya, Sri Lanka. Data were
collected through an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version
20. Results: The majority of the respondents (71.3%) were mothers. The majority of children with NS
in the study sample were boys (70.2%), and their mean age was 7.6±3 years. About 40.4% of children
had onset of disease at the age of 2-3 years. The majority of participants (53.2%) had scored more than
75 marks for knowledge. The practice score of the majority (66.0%) was between 50-100. The mean
knowledge score was significantly higher in the participants who have managed their child with NS for
6-8 years (p=0.006) and for 9-11 years (p=0.019), compared to the participants who have managed their
child with NS for 3-5 years. The mean knowledge score was significantly higher in the participants
with the family history with NS in compared to the participants without family history of NS (p=0.001).
A statistically significant association was found between mean practice score and the number of living
children in the family (p=0.009). Mean practice score of the participants who had more than four living
children was significantly higher than the participants who had two living children in their family
(p=0.002). However, a significant negative correlation was observed between knowledge on NS and
healthcare related practices of the participants (r= -0.240, n=94, p=0.020, 2-tailed). Conclusions: The
overall knowledge and practices of parents/caregivers regarding home management of children with
NS attending to the PNC, Teaching Hospital Karapitiya, Sri Lanka, was adequate and satisfactory.
