Relationship Between Parental Knowledge And Anxiety Among Parents Of Infants In The Nicu

Abstract

Latar Belakang: Perawatan bayi di Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) dapat menimbulkan kecemasan pada orang tua akibat kondisi bayi, lingkungan perawatan intensif, penggunaan peralatan medis, dan ketidakpastian prognosis. Pengetahuan yang memadai mengenai kondisi dan perawatan bayi dapat membantu orang tua memahami situasi selama hospitalisasi.

Tujuan: Mengetahui hubungan antara tingkat pengetahuan dan tingkat kecemasan orang tua pada bayi yang dirawat di NICU RSUD Kotamobagu.

Metode: Penelitian menggunakan desain analitik cross-sectional pada 60 orang tua bayi yang dirawat di NICU, dipilih dengan purposive sampling. Pengetahuan diukur menggunakan kuesioner pengetahuan orang tua dan kecemasan menggunakan Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS). Hubungan kedua variabel dianalisis menggunakan uji Chi-Square dengan α=0,05.

Hasil: Tingkat pengetahuan terbanyak berada pada kategori baik (26 responden; 43,3%), sedangkan tingkat kecemasan terbanyak berada pada kategori sedang (25 responden; 41,7%). Uji Pearson Chi-Square menunjukkan hubungan yang signifikan antara tingkat pengetahuan dan tingkat kecemasan orang tua (χ²=13,845; df=4; p=0,001).

Kesimpulan: Terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara tingkat pengetahuan dan tingkat kecemasan orang tua pada bayi yang dirawat di NICU RSUD Kotamobagu. Temuan ini menunjukkan adanya pola bahwa pengetahuan yang lebih rendah cenderung disertai kecemasan yang lebih berat, tanpa membuktikan hubungan sebab-akibat.

Saran: Edukasi terstruktur dan komunikasi berbasis family-centered care perlu diperkuat untuk meningkatkan pemahaman orang tua selama bayi menjalani perawatan di NICU.

Kata kunci: Pengetahuan orang tua; kecemasan; NICU; family-centered care

ABSTRACT

Background: Hospitalization of an infant in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can cause parental anxiety because of the infant’s condition, the intensive-care environment, medical equipment, and uncertainty regarding prognosis. Adequate knowledge about the infant’s condition and care may help parents understand the situation during hospitalization.

Objective: To determine the relationship between parental knowledge level and anxiety level among parents of infants admitted to the NICU at Kotamobagu Regional Hospital.

Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study included 60 parents of infants admitted to the NICU who were selected using purposive sampling. Parental knowledge was assessed using a knowledge questionnaire, and anxiety was assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS). The association between the variables was analyzed using the Chi-Square test with α=0.05.

Results: The largest proportion of respondents had good knowledge (26 respondents; 43.3%), while moderate anxiety was the most common anxiety category (25 respondents; 41.7%). Pearson Chi-Square analysis showed a significant association between parental knowledge and anxiety (χ²=13.845; df=4; p=0.001).

Conclusion: Parental knowledge level was significantly associated with parental anxiety among parents of infants admitted to the NICU at Kotamobagu Regional Hospital. The distribution suggests that lower knowledge tended to be accompanied by more severe anxiety; however, the cross-sectional design does not establish causality.

Suggestions: Structured education and family-centered communication should be strengthened to improve parental understanding during NICU hospitalization.

Keywords: Parental knowledge; anxiety; NICU; family-centered care