Health of families with children and adolescents with cancer

Introduction: family health implies a systemic approach that involves the functioning and the harmonious transition of the family through the stages of the life cycle. Objective: to diagnose the health of family members who have children and adolescents suffering from cancer, belonging to the "4 de Abril" University Polyclinic of the Guantanamo municipality. Method: a descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 9 families found from September 2013 to June 2014. The theoretical-methodological model of family health assessment was used, which includes as evaluation instruments, the perception test of the family functioning and the inventory of risk family characteristics. Results: the crossing of the results gave rise to the family health matrix. Paranormative crises were present in 66.6 % of families due to dismemberment. Only 33.3 % of the families were functional. In the socio-economic and cultural context in 77.7 % of the families, characteristics that constitute a potential risk to the health of the group were evidenced. Conclusions: the studied families presented serious affectation of family health due to a high prevalence of risk characteristics, as well as the predominance of family dysfunctionality, a situation that places them in a condition of over exertion to face daily life.