Longitudinal Patterns of Social Problem-Solving Skills in an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Pediatric Patients with Cancer and their Caregivers

Evrosina I. Isaac, Urmila Sivagnanalingam, Andrea R. Meisman, Crista Wetherington Donewar, Linda J. Ewing, Ernest R. Katz, Anna C. Muriel and Jennifer M. Rohan
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Evrosina I. Isaac: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, CA 23219, USA
Urmila Sivagnanalingam: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, CA 23219, USA
Andrea R. Meisman: Division of Adolescent and Transition Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
Crista Wetherington Donewar: Center for Pediatric Psychiatry, Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
Linda J. Ewing: Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Ernest R. Katz: Division of Hematology-Oncology and Blood & Marrow Transplant, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
Anna C. Muriel: Division of Psychosocial Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Jennifer M. Rohan: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, CA 23219, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-11

Abstract: Pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma are prescribed a daily oral chemotherapy medication named 6-mercaptopurine. Adherence to this medication is vital for survival and decreased risk for disease relapse. Adaptive problem-solving strategies are important for adhering to this complex regimen. This manuscript examined ethnic and racial differences in social problem-solving domains (Social Problem-Solving Inventory) among patients aged 7–19 years old who were diagnosed with cancer; and, their caregivers ( N = 139). This was a 15-month longitudinal study. We also examined differences in medication adherence based on behavioral adherence measures. Our study found significant differences between minority and non-minority reporters across multiple social problem-solving domains ( p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences observed for medication adherence. Our findings underscore the importance of implementing culturally sensitive interventions in clinical care that could ultimately positively impact health behaviors, interactions with healthcare providers, and long-term health outcomes.

Keywords: social problem-solving; racial differences; cancer; adherence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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