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Health‐related quality of life in children and emotional reactions of parents following completion of cancer treatment
Author(s) -
Stam Heleen,
Grootenhuis Martha A.,
Brons Paul P.T.,
Caron Huib N.,
Last Bob F.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
pediatric blood and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.116
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1545-5017
pISSN - 1545-5009
DOI - 10.1002/pbc.20661
Subject(s) - medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , anxiety , loneliness , feeling , distress , clinical psychology , norm (philosophy) , pediatrics , psychiatry , psychology , nursing , social psychology , political science , law
Background Completing therapy is one of the major transitions in care in the practice of pediatric oncology and, therefore, deserves special consideration. The purpose of the study was to investigate health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) of pediatric patients, and emotional reactions of their parents, shortly after the end of successful treatment. Methods HRQOL of 126 patients, aged 1–15 years, on average 2 months after the end of successful treatment, was assessed with the TNO‐AZL Pre‐school Quality of life Questionnaire and the TNO‐AZL Children's Quality of life Questionnaire. Emotional adjustment of 124 mothers and 111 fathers was assessed with the General Health Questionnaire and the Situation Specific Emotional Reaction Questionnaire. The outcomes of the patients and parents were compared with norm data by means of one sample t ‐tests, one sample sign‐tests or binomial tests. Results All age groups, except patients aged 8–11 years, experienced worse HRQOL than the norm with respect to motor functioning. In addition, pre‐school patients were rated worse on sleeping, appetite, stomach, skin, problem behavior, anxiety, and liveliness, and patients aged 6–7 years on autonomy and cognitive functioning. Parents reported more psychological distress than the norm. Compared to parents whose children were 1–5 years after cancer treatment, they suffered more from feelings of loneliness, helplessness, and uncertainty. Conclusions A few months after the end of successful cancer treatment, both patients and parents appeared to experience worse well‐being than the norm to a clinically relevant extent. Supporting patients and parents should not stop when treatment ends. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2006;47:312–319. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.