Sense of coherence of mothers in caregiving of children with cleft lip and palate: A comparative cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Sense of coherence (SOC) refers to an individual’s ability to cope with stress. Mother’s SOC has been associated with the health outcomes of children. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the difference in SOC between mothers of children with and without cleft lip and palate (CLP). Methodology: This comparative cross-sectional study included mothers of children with CLP (CLP group) and without CLP (control group) managed at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital from January 2023 to December 2024. Data on sociodemographic and CLP characteristics, and mothers’ SOC were collected. SOC was assessed using the Antonovsky’s 13-item SOC questionnaire. Participants in the CLP group were recruited consecutively, and the control group was matched to the CLP group using participants’ age. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Results: A total of 320 mothers, 160 in each group, were included. In the CLP group, their age ranged from 17 to 51 years with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of 30 (27–37) years, while in the control group, their age ranged from 23 to 53 years with a median (IQR) age of 30 (28–35) years. In the CLP group, the minimum SOC score was 29, the maximum was 51, and the mean was 41.1 ± 5.31, while in the control group, the minimum SOC score was 26, the maximum was 65, and the mean was 45.2 ± 8.97. There was a statistically significant decrease in mothers’ SOC scores in the CLP group compared to the control group ( P < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that mothers of children without CLP, with a high level of education, and married mothers had strong SOC ( P < 0.05 for the regression analyses). Conclusion: Mothers of children with CLP had significantly weaker SOC compared to their peers.