The effect of implementing family-centered empowerment model on the empowerment of mothers of children with hydrocephalus.

Introduction: Hydrocephalus, due to the disabilities it causes for children, also causes many problems for their mothers. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of implementing a family-centered empowerment model on the empowerment of mothers of children with hydrocephalus. Method: In this quasi-experimental study, 60 mothers of children with hydrocephalus participated and were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. A demographic questionnaire, a researcher-made family-centered empowerment tool, was used to collect data. Questionnaires were completed by the participants before the intervention. Then, for the intervention group, a family-centered empowerment model was implemented with four steps of perceived threat (perceived sensitivity and perceived severity), self-efficacy, self-esteem and evaluation in 5 sessions. One week after the intervention, the competency questionnaire was completed by the samples in the intervention group and simultaneously in the control group. Results: The mean score (standard deviation) of the total ability of mothers of children with hydrocephalus before and after the implementation of the family-centered empowerment model was 26.62± (4.08) and 32.87± (5.09), respectively, which had a significant increase (p <0.05) But there was no significant difference in the control group. Conclusion: Implementing a family-centered empowerment model improves the empowerment of mothers of children with hydrocephalus.