Effectiveness of a nurse-led educational intervention on caregiver's burden and quality of life in pediatric asthma at a tertiary care center in Tamil Nadu, India.

BACKGROUND: Childhood asthma significantly strains caregivers emotionally, physically, and financially, affecting their quality of life and child health outcomes. Nurse-led education can improve caregiver knowledge, confidence, and coping abilities. A study to assess the effectiveness of nurse-led education in reducing the burden and improving quality of life of pediatric asthma caregivers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental pre- and posttest control group design was conducted in selected tertiary care hospitals in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu. Forty primary caregivers were randomly allocated to a study group or a control group (n = 40 each). Caregiver's burden and quality of life were assessed using the Zarit Burden Interview and Pediatric Asthma Caregivers' Quality of Life Questionnaire, respectively. The study group received a structured nurse-led educational session on asthma care; the control group received routine care. Outcomes were reassessed after one week. Paired and independent t-tests compared pre- and post-intervention scores. Pearson correlation assessed the relationship between caregiver's burden and the quality of life. RESULTS: The study group showed a significant reduction in the burden (25.50-19.15; P = 0.001) and an improvement in the Quality of life (44.10-53.00; P < 0.001). The control group showed no significant changes. A negative correlation was observed (r = -0.617; P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Nurse-led education significantly reduces caregiver's burden and enhances the quality of life, especially in resource-limited settings.