Pediatric Cancer as a Factor of Changes in the Family

Aleksandra Dąbrowska and Iwona Malicka
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Aleksandra Dąbrowska: Department of Physiotherapy, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, 51-612 Wroclaw, Poland
Iwona Malicka: Department of Physiotherapy, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, 51-612 Wroclaw, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-11

Abstract: The occurrence of pediatric cancer is an example of a non-normative situation that reorganizes family life. The aim of the study was to evaluate the functioning of a family with a child affected by cancer. The study was conducted on 339 families. The study group consisted of 153 families with children with cancer (mean age 36.4 ± 6.8 years). The control group was composed of 186 families with healthy children (mean age 39.0 ± 6.3 years). All of them completed the author’s survey questionnaire on family functioning and the Resilience Measurement Scale (RMS). A statistically significant association was found between the place of residence ( p < 0.001), education ( p < 0.001), assessment of the material status ( p < 0.001) and employment structure ( p < 0.001) of parents and the membership in the study group or the control group. Statistical significance was achieved for the main effects as measured on the RMS (5 factors and 2 groups). The study group showed consistently lower levels of the factors of the scale. Statistically significant observations were reported for Factor 1 (perseverance, proactive approach) and Factor 4 (tolerance to failure, life as a challenge) (12.0 vs. 14.5, p < 0.001, 13.4 vs. 14.2, p = 0.04, respectively). Parents of children with cancer were characterized by lower persistence, determination and tolerance to failure, which could affect the quality of life of the whole family. In addition, different socio-economic conditions of family functioning were found in families with children with cancer as compared to families with healthy children.

Keywords: pediatric cancer; resilience; parents; patient care (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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