Comparative Analysis of the Perception of Family Functioning by Heads of Families with and without Cancer Members During Illness

Background: Cancer is a major health problem due to the aging population with increasing deaths. Family functioning is affected by cancer diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this study was to comparative analysis of the perception of family functioning by heads of families with and without cancer members during illness, focusing on changes or probable changes. Materials and Methods: This comparative study was conducted on two groups (families with a member of the cancer and controls without a family member with cancer). The families were of patients referred to the clinics and hospitals of Imam Khomeini, Taleghani and Omid of Urmia city, the number of samples being 148 for cases and 176for the control group. To collect the data, valid and reliable family functioning (FAD) was applied, a 60-item questionnaire with seven dimensions, with heads of families. To analyze the data SPSS- 23 Software was used for descriptive and analytical statistics. Significance level was defined p <0.05. Results: Among the seven items : problem solving, communication, roles, emotional response, emotional involvement, behavior control and overall functioning, only differences for average scores of problem-solving were statistically significant. Discussion: Contrary to common perception of severe damage for family functioning in families with cancer members, results of this study indicate that functioning in terms of family caregivers is more or less similar to that of the families with other diseases. Only in problem-solving item do these families experience more difficulty. Conclusion: According to the research findings, in nursing from families with cancer patient, it is recommended to focus more on the problem-solving item of the families.