Introduction:

Gastrointestinal complications are the most common side effects of chemotherapy that are effective in the treatment acceptance by the patients. Therefore, understanding these complications and their prevention are helpful in improving the treatment and prevention of recurrent hospitalization and, ultimately, the survival of these patients. This study was carried out with the aim of dealing with the impact of the empowerment of women in the prevention of gastrointestinal side effects in children.

Materials and Methods:

This study was a semi-experimental study with a nonequivalent control group design that was performed in Dr Sheikh hospital in Mashhad in 2013. The empowerment program was offered, according to Gibson empowerment model, to experimental group in three empowerment sessions with focus on complications such as: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and loss of appetite. By using a standard questionnaire of reported side effects of chemotherapy in three weeks, information was offered to the two groups in three phases of the first, sixth and twelfth weeks of intervention the two groups and then was completed. Data analysis was performed by SPSS software, version 18 and independent-t and paired tests, Spearman correlation coefficient and Mann-Whitney test.

Results:

The average of post-intervention side effects in experimental group was lower than that of the control group. while no significant differences were observered between side effect rate before and after the intervention) p<0/001).

Conclusions:

Implimentation of empowerment pattern in chronic diseases such as cancer in children can leads to reduction in the incidence of gastrointestinal side effects in children undergoing chemotherapy by helping the main caregiver in discoverying the truth and using critical thinking and increasing their abilitiess and skills. Gastrointestinal side effects in children undergoing chemotherapy.