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Quality of life in parents of childhood leukemia survivors. A French Childhood Cancer Survivor Study for Leukemia study
Author(s) -
Vercasson Camille,
Auquier Pascal,
Michel Gérard,
Bertrand Yves,
Ansoborlo Sophie,
Tabone MarieDominique,
Leverger Guy,
Gandemer Virginie,
Baruchel André,
Contet Audrey,
Dalle JeanHugues,
Paillard Catherine,
Poirée Maryline,
ThouveninDoulet Sandrine,
Sirvent Nicolas,
Kanold Justyna,
Freycon Claire,
Hamidou Zeinab,
Berbis Julie
Publication year - 2020
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.28419
Subject(s) - medicine , childhood leukemia , multivariate analysis , leukemia , quality of life (healthcare) , socioeconomic status , population , cohort , cancer , cancer survivor , pediatrics , demography , gerontology , lymphoblastic leukemia , environmental health , nursing , sociology
Our objectives were to assess the quality of life (QoL) of parents of childhood leukemia survivors compared with population norms and to identify the determinants of parents’ long‐term QoL. Methods Parents of minors who had survived childhood leukemia participating in the French LEA cohort (Leucémie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent—French Childhood Cancer Survivor Study for Leukemia) were asked to complete the French version of the WHOQOL‐BREF. Results were compared with age‐ and sex‐matched values from a French reference population. Parents’ and survivors’ characteristics likely to be associated with QoL, long after the child's leukemia diagnosis, were explored using multivariate analysis. Results We included 487 parents (mean age 42.9 ± 6.0 years, mean follow‐up time from diagnosis 7.3 ± 3.3 years). Compared with the reference population, scores for physical health and social relationships for parents of childhood leukemia survivors were significantly lower ( P < 0.001, effect size = 0.24 and P < 0.001, effect size = 0.29, respectively) contrary to scores for psychological health which were significantly higher ( P < 0.001, effect size = 0.29). Even if health‐ and cancer‐related characteristics were associated with parents’ QoL in some dimensions, the only factor associated with each of the three dimensions (social relationships, physical health, and psychological) in the multivariate analysis was the parent's financial situation. Conclusions Long after leukemia diagnosis, the parents reported lower scores in the physical health and social relationship domains. Despite the difficulties of actually influencing socioeconomic characteristics, it is important to consider the social situation of each family in the long‐term care of survivors and their families.