Evaluation of The Knowledge and Attitudes About Hypospadias of The Parents of Children Diagnosed With Hypospadias: A Qualitative Study

Purpose: The purpose of the study to determine the knowledge and attitudes of the parents of children diagnosed with hypospadias. Methods: This descriptive study conducted on the families of children diagnosed with hypospadias and discharged from a pediatric surgery clinic in a state hospital in Istanbul between April 2018 and December 2018. Data collected with parent information form, type recorder, semi-structured interview. Content analysis was used to evaluate the qualitative data. Research results are reported according to the COREQ Checklist. Results: After analyzing the interviews of the participants, eight themes have been created: “Inaccuracy of information about hypospadias”, “The fact that the information is not clear and understandable by the family”, “Anxiety about the surgery and the prognosis of the disease in the pre-operative period”, “Fears about the process and after the surgery”, “Positive emotions after surgery", "Negative emotions after surgery", "Supporting post-operative care", "Importance of cosmetic appearance", Conclusion: It was found that the parents did not have enough information about hypospadias and the postoperative process adversely affected the attitudes of the parents towards the disease.