Landrum, Peggy

Most studies on the quality of life of caregivers of children with cystic fibrosis (CF) have focused on the mental health of mothers, reflecting a biased underlying assumption that mothers are the primary caregivers. The aim of this study was to explore the experience of fathers caring for a child with CF. Twenty fathers of children with CF were studied via a semi-structured interview using Husserl's (1970) descriptive phenomenology. Fathers were enrolled from two accredited CF centers in Texas.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-shortening genetic disease with many treatment requirements that necessitate the participation of a caregiver, especially if the patient is a child. We performed an integrated literature review of original research evaluating quality of life in caregivers of patients with CF. We searched the terms quality of life, cystic fibrosis, and caregivers in the MEDLINE, CINAHL, Child Development and Adolescent Studies, PsycARTICLES, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection databases from 2007 to 2017.

Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding tube placement is multifactorial and considered a lifesaving mechanism, which leads to a host of thoughts and feelings that affect the decision-making experience. As people live longer and the population ages, these decisions often involve the caregivers who have their own experience and therefore can result in caregiver burden and anxiety.