Well-being, familial risk, and transfusion interval in thalassemia-affected families: A two-step cluster analysis

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder which is one of the common genetic disorders among children that is increasing worldwide.

This study aimed to identify clustering patterns among thalassemia-affected families based on their well-being, transfusion interval, and risk factors using two-step cluster analysis (TCA).

The study design is a descriptive, analytical cross-sectional study. The study sample consisted of 125 thalassemia children along with either one of the parents who referred to a thalassemia treatment center of a pediatric hospital in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The parents and children were evaluated using the Ryff Psychological Well-being Scale and Kidscreen Questionnaire respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 software.

Out of 125 parents, 86 were father (68.8%) and 39 were mother (31.2%). The mean age of parents was 38 years. Similarly, out of 125 thalassemia-affected children, the mean age of children was 13 years. Six clusters were deducted from the TCA. Parents' well-being variable does not have discriminating power to form cluster division. Three cluster formations were meaningful.

TCA, in this study, helps in finding the clusters of families with thalassemia-affected children associated with poor well-being and familial risks, which require attention for medical counseling.