Beliefs on Nutritional Practices among Caregivers of Pediatric Leukemia Patients and Health Care Professionals in Kuala Lumpur Hospital – A Qualitative Study

Inclination towards nutrition beliefs by parents and caregivers plays an important role in the dietary intake of children with leukemia. However, local studies examining on the nutrition practices and dietary beliefs among caregivers of leukemia patients are very limited. This study aims to assess nutrition beliefs among caregivers of children with leukemia and healthcare professionals at the Pediatric Institute of Kuala Lumpur Hospital (IPHKL), Malaysia. This qualitative study was conducted to assess the beliefs and practices towards certain foods among caregivers of pediatric leukemia patients. Thirty subjects comprising a group of 10 health care professionals and 20 caregivers were interviewed using semi-structured interview method. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using ATLAS.ti. version 7.5.6 qualitative analysis software and subsequently several themes.were obtained. Five themes emerged from this analysis that are (1) beliefs about foods that can cure cancer, (2) beliefs related to consumption of meat and dairy products, (3) beliefs towards foods containing pesticides, (4) beliefs that certain food causes itchiness, and (5) source of nutrition information and nutrition knowledge of caregivers. This study proves that beliefs in various myths related to nutrition and dietary practices exist among caregivers and health professionals group. Information from these findings can provide perspective on the beliefs towards dietary practices among caregivers of children with leukemia and healthcare professionals. This is important for the healthcare professions, especially when planning the strategies for caregivers’ nutrition education in order to improve the nutritional status of childhood leukemia patients.