Search

PURPOSE: Ethnic disparities in childhood cancer survivor (CCS) mental health have been identified, although prior survivorship research has focused predominantly on non-Hispanic/Latinx (H/L) white survivors. METHODS: This study examined the association of acculturation with depressive symptoms and wellbeing among 582 young adult H/L CCS recruited to a population-based study of CCS in Southern California. RESULTS: In multivariable regression models adjusted for covariates, greater identification with both the Hispanic and Anglo cultures was positively associated with wellbeing (p = 0.007 and p

OBJECTIVE: To (1) characterize change in type of insurance coverage among childhood cancer survivors from diagnosis to survivorship and (2) examine whether insurance change is associated with cancer‐related follow‐up care utilization. DATA SOURCES: Participants in this study were derived from the Project Forward study, a population‐based, observational study of childhood cancer survivors in Los Angeles County that used California Cancer Registry data to identify participants. STUDY DESIGN: Multivariable logistic regression models incorporating survey nonresponse weights estimated the change in the marginal predicted probabilities of insurance change and survivorship care, adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical covariates and clustering by treating hospital. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Study participants were diagnosed with cancer who were younger than age 20 years while living in Los Angeles County from 1996 to 2010 and were older than the age 18 years at the time of survey participation, from 2015 to 2017 (N = 1106). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Most participants were 18–26 years of age, male, diagnosed before 2004, Hispanic/Latino race/ethnicity, single, without children, highly educated, not employed full time, and lived with their parents at survey. Almost half (N = 529) of participants experienced insurance change from diagnosis to survivorship. Insurance change was associated with insurance coverage at diagnosis, as those who were uninsured were most likely to experience change and gain coverage during survivorship (by 51 percentage points [ppt], standard error [SE] of 0.05). Survivors who experienced any change had decreased probability of reporting a recent cancer‐related follow‐up care visit, a disparity that was magnified for those who lost insurance coverage (−5 ppt, SE 0.02 for those who gained coverage; −15 ppt, SE 0.04 for those who lost coverage). CONCLUSIONS: Insurance coverage change was associated with lower cancer‐related follow‐up care utilization. Indeed, survivors who experienced any insurance coverage change had decreased probability of having a cancer‐related follow‐up care visit, and this was magnified for those who lost their insurance coverage.

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) represents positive changes following a trauma, crisis, and/or psychologically distressing event. Experiencing cancer can serve as a traumatic event for patients, resulting in life changes among survivors. Various PTG measures have been used to assess post-cancer change among childhood cancer survivors (CCS), but few have been evaluated for use in this population. This study examined the factor structure of an adapted, 11-item version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) among CCS. A randomly selected subgroup of participants ( N = 332) was selected from the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program (mean age of 26.5 years at time of survey, mean age at diagnosis of 12 years, primarily male [53.6%], and Hispanic [51.5%]). Participants indicated the degree to which they experienced positive, negative, or no change in their life because of their cancer experience. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified two factors: Appreciation of New Possibilities and Spiritual Change. The adapted, 11-item PTGI was deemed appropriate for use among CCS. Additional research is needed to confirm the use of the two-factor model with confirmatory factor analysis in an independent sample. Future research on PTG among CCS can consider spiritual change as a potential independent factor.

This study investigated the correlates of well-being with psychosocial and clinical factors in young adult childhood cancer survivors (YACCS) above and beyond depressive symptoms.Participants were from the Project Forward Cohort, a population-based study of young adult survivors of childhood cancers. Participants (n = 1166, MIn the multivariable model, posttraumatic growth, social support, sense of adulthood, and self-rated health were significantly associated with well-being (all ps.05), when controlling for depressive symptoms. Treatment intensity and years since diagnosis were not significantly associated with well-being, when controlling for depressive symptoms.There are unique correlates of well-being above and beyond depressive symptoms among YACCS. This finding illuminates individual differences that may be associated with well-being and provides targets for intervention.Psychosocial interventions and survivorship care for YACCS should consider the broad aspects of well-being, independent of depressive symptoms.

BackgroundChildhood cancer survivors (CCS) face increased risk of morbidity and are recommended to receive lifelong cancer-related follow-up care. Identifying factors associated with follow-up care can inform efforts to support the long-term health of CCS.MethodsEligible CCS (diagnosed between 1996 and 2010) identified through the Los Angeles County Cancer Surveillance Program responded to a self-report survey that assessed demographic, clinical, health-care engagement, and psychosocial risk and protective factors of recent (prior 2 years) cancer-related follow-up care. Weighted multivariable logistic regression was conducted to identify correlates of care. All statistical tests were 2-sided.ResultsThe overall response rate was 44.9%, with an analytical sample of n = 1106 (54.2% Hispanic; mean [SD] ages at survey, diagnosis, and years since diagnosis were 26.2 [4.9], 11.6 [5.4], and 14.5 [4.4] years, respectively). Fifty-seven percent reported a recent cancer-related visit, with lower rates reported among older survivors. Having insurance, more late effects, receipt of a written treatment summary, discussing long-term care needs with treating physician, knowledge of the need for long-term care, having a regular source of care, and higher health-care self-efficacy were statistically significantly associated with greater odds of recent follow-up care, whereas older age, Hispanic or Other ethnicity (vs non-Hispanic White), and years since diagnosis were associated with lower odds of recent care (all Ps < .05).ConclusionsAge and ethnic disparities are observed in receipt of follow-up care among young adult CCS. Potential intervention targets include comprehensive, ongoing patient education; provision of written treatment summaries; and culturally tailored support to ensure equitable access to and the utilization of care.

OBJECTIVE: The Intensity of Treatment Rating (ITR) Scale condenses treatment and clinical characteristics into a single measure to study treatment effects on downstream health outcomes across cancer types. This rating was originally developed for clinicians to determine from medical charts. However, large studies are often unable to access medical charts for all study participants. We developed and tested a method of estimating treatment intensity (TI) using cancer registry and patient self-reported data. METHODS: We estimated two versions of TI for a cohort of pediatric cancer survivors-one utilized information solely available from cancer registry variables (TI(R)) and the other included registry and self-reported information (TI(S)) from survey participants. In a subset of cases (n=135) for whom the gold standard TI (TI(C)) was known, both TI(R) and TI(S) were compared to TI(C) by calculating percent agreement and weighted Cohen’s kappa, overall and within cancer subtypes. RESULTS: In comparison to TI(C), 71% of TI scores from both methods were in agreement (k = 0.61 TIR / 0.54 TI(S)). Among subgroups, agreement ranged from lowest (46% TI(R)/39% TI(S)) for non-defined tumors (e.g. “Tumor-other”), to highest (94% TI(R)/94% TI(S)) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). CONCLUSIONS: We developed a methodology to estimate TI for pediatric cancer research when medical chart review is not possible. High reliability was observed for ALL, the most common pediatric cancer. Additional validation is needed among a larger sample of other cancer subgroups. The ability to estimate TI from cancer registry data would assist with monitoring effects of treatment during survivorship in registry-based epidemiological studies.

The effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV acquisition depends on treatment adherence; however, within-person associations between levels of PrEP adherence and engagement in condomless sex have not been well studied. In the context of a demonstration project, 372 men who have sex with men received once-daily PrEP and completed six study visits over 48 weeks. Two-part growth mixture modeling was used to examine the longitudinal trajectory of condomless anal intercourse (CAI) and self-reports of PrEP adherence, controlling for relevant covariates. Over time, greater PrEP adherence was contemporaneously associated with both a higher likelihood of engaging in any CAI and with a greater number of CAI acts. Substance use was also associated with a higher likelihood of engaging in CAI. Contemporaneous associations between self-reported PrEP adherence and CAI suggest that adherence behaviors may be motivated by the desire to mitigate risk of HIV infection; however, exact directionality is unknown.La eficacia de la profilaxis Pre-exposición (PrEP) contra la adquisición del VIH depende de la adherencia al tratamiento; sin embargo, las asociaciones dentro de la persona entre los niveles de adherencia a PrEP y la participación en el sexo sin condón no han sido bien estudiadas. En un proyecto de demostración, 372 hombres que tienen relaciones sexuales con hombres recibieron PrEP diariamente y completaron seis visitas de estudio durante 48 semanas. El modelado de mezclas de crecimiento en dos partes se utilizó para examinar la trayectoria longitudinal de las relaciones sexuales anales sin condonación (CAI) y los autoinformes de adherencia a PrEP, controlando las covariables pertinentes. Con el tiempo, una mayor adherencia a PrEP se asoció a la misma vez con una mayor probabilidad de participar en cualquier CAI y tambien con un mayor número de CAI. El consumo de sustancias también se asoció con una mayor probabilidad de participar en CAI. Las asociaciones contemporáneas entre la adherencia a PrEP autoinformada y CAI sugieren que los comportamientos de adherencia pueden estar motivados por el deseo de mitigar el riesgo de infección por el VIH; sin embargo, se desconoce la direccionalidad exacta.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of mindfulness-based meditation interventions (MBMIs) among Latino youth. Furthermore, joint parent-child participation in such programs is rare. Utilizing a community-based participatory research approach, this study evaluated the feasibility of a pilot bilingual MBMI among Latino adolescents and their parents in Los Angeles. METHODS: Qualitative interviews were conducted to assess the practicality, implementation, and acceptability of the program. RESULTS: Challenges to attendance included health issues or conflicts with work. Several adolescents struggled with distractions from peers. However, overall responses suggest that parents and children found the program convenient and enjoyable, and perceived benefits from the curriculum. CONCLUSION: This study supports the feasibility of a MBMI among Latino family dyads.

This study assessed the association between ethnicity, religious service attendance (RSA), and acculturation with posttraumatic growth (PTG) in a diverse sample of 235 childhood cancer survivors (CCS). PTG scores were estimated for each ethnicity, and by level of RSA and acculturation. There was a significant curvilinear relationship (inverted U) between RSA and PTG, such that moderate levels of RSA were associated with the highest PTG scores. Hispanics reported the highest PTG, and both Hispanic and Anglo cultural orientation were significantly positively associated with PTG. CCS with high or low frequency of RSA as well as Hispanic CCS who lack a strong sense of cultural identity may benefit from targeted efforts to promote psychosocial adaptation in the aftermath of cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This case-control study compared substance use behaviors between Hispanic adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancers (cases) and a community sample of participants without cancer (controls). METHODS: A total of 100 cases (mean age at survey 19.9, SD=2.8), were matched 1-1 by ethnicity, age, and sex to controls (200 participants). Differences in self-reported prior 30-day use of tobacco, alcohol, binge drinking of alcohol, and marijuana were examined using conditional multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: The odds of tobacco, alcohol, binge drinking, and marijuana use were significantly lower for cases than controls (all p’s

By 2020, there will be more than 500,000 childhood cancer survivors (CCS) in the United States. CCS experience disparities in economic, social, and health‐related quality of life outcomes, and these disparities are magnified for CCS who are uninsured. Access to long‐term follow‐up (LTFU) care for surveillance, preventive care, and treatment of late effects for survivors are vital to improve long‐term outcomes. Inadequate insurance coverage, high out‐of‐pocket costs, and lack of perceived need for care have been shown to affect access to LTFU care among CCS. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess insurance instability longitudinally and describe patient factors that correlate with instability and (2) examine whether insurance instability and financial or patient factors influence access to LTFU care. Project Forward was a population‐based, observational study of CCS in Los Angeles County using California Cancer Registry (CCR) data to identify participants who completed a survey. Change in insurance coverage was assessed at diagnosis using CCR data and at survey and its impact on LTFU care. Those who experienced any change in insurance coverage (“insurance instability”) were set equal to one. Multivariable logistic regression models incorporating survey nonresponse weights were used to estimate the change in the marginal predicted probabilities of insurance instability and LTFU care, adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical covariates and clustered by treating hospital. Study participants were diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 0 and 19 while living in Los Angeles County between 1996 and 2010 and were older than 21 at the time of survey, from 2015 to 2017 (N = 1106). Almost half (48%; N = 529) of participants experienced insurance instability from diagnosis to survivorship, while 577 did not. After adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical covariates, the multivariable model predicting insurance instability indicated that being uninsured at diagnosis or at survey increased the probability of instability by 37% (P

Introduction Previous research has identified individual-level clinical and demographic factors associated with the mental health of childhood cancer survivors (CCS), but cultural and contextual factors have not been as thoroughly explored. Additionally, Hispanics are underrepresented in studies of CCS, so improved understanding of unique correlates of mental health among this population is needed. Methods Depressive symptoms were assessed among a sample of 1,106 young adult CCS. Participants were selected from the Los Angeles County SEER Cancer Registry, and were diagnosed at ages 0-19 between 1996-2010 with any cancer, at least 5 years post diagnosis, treated 2+ years ago, currently aged 18-39. Analyses were restricted to Hispanic participants currently living in California (n=522) who completed an acculturation measure. Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the association of depressive symptoms with neighborhood Hispanic ethnic enclave and individual acculturation, controlling for relevant demographic and clinical factors. Ethnic enclave residence was also explored as a potential moderator of the effect of acculturation on depressive symptoms. Ethnic enclave is a composite index based on census data reflecting household linguistic isolation, English language proficiency, and proportion of Hispanics, foreign born, and recent immigrants in a given census tract. This index score was dichotomized for analysis (based on the statewide distribution). A bi-dimensional acculturation scale measured Hispanic and Anglo orientation, but due to limited variability on the Anglo subscale (majority of the sample reported high Anglo orientation), it was excluded from the interaction model to focus on differences by Hispanic orientation. Results In a multivariable model of main effects controlling for age, sex, treatment intensity, years since diagnosis, and education, a significant negative association between Hispanic orientation and depressive symptoms was found (b=-0.17, p=0.03) while no significant association was found for ethnic enclave. When accounting for the interaction, ethnic enclave was found to moderate the association with Hispanic orientation. When stratifying models by enclave, Hispanic orientation was negatively associated with depressive symptoms for those residing in high ethnic enclaves (b=-0.24, p=0.01), while there was no significant association observed for those residing in low enclaves. Conclusions These results suggest that concordance between an individual’s ethnic orientation and the neighborhood cultural context may be protective against poor mental health. One potential mediating factor is increased social support and future research should examine this factor to better understand contributors to mental health across the survivorship continuum among CCS and to identify groups that may benefit from targeted intervention and/or survivorship support services. Citation Format: Jessica Tobin, Myles Cockburn, Brian K Finch, Ann S Hamilton, Joel E Milam. Multilevel factors associated with depressive symptoms among long-term survivors of childhood cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr C065.

Objective: Acculturation appears to be an important aspect of the association between ethnicity and disease, but it has not been explored in depth among childhood cancer survivors (CCS). The purpose of our study was to identify distinct acculturative profiles among Hispanic CCS and to assess dif­ferences in quality of life and depressive symptoms.Design: Latent class analysis was used to identify distinct acculturative profiles using 9 indicator items reflecting Hispanic and An­glo cultural orientation. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to explore differ­ences in depressive symptoms and quality of life between acculturation classes.Setting and Participants: Participants were diagnosed in Los Angeles County, Califor­nia, USA between 2000-2007 and were recruited for the study in 2009.Main Outcome Measures: Center for Epi­demiologic Studies depression scale and the PedsQL 4.0 quality of life scale.Results: Three distinct acculturation classes emerged. All classes displayed a high prob­ability of endorsing all Anglo orientation items. One class additionally demonstrated a high probability of endorsing all Hispanic orientation items and was labeled bicultural (40%); another demonstrated low probabil­ity of endorsing the Hispanic items so was labeled assimilated (32%); and the last dem­onstrated a high probability of endorsing only the Hispanic items related to language use and was labeled linguistically Hispanic/ culturally Anglo (LH) (28%).Conclusions: The assimilated group had significantly more depressive symptoms and lower quality of life than the other two groups. This may indicate that loss of the Hispanic culture may be associated with poorer psychosocial health among CCS.Ethn Dis. 2018;28(1):55-60; doi:10.18865/ ed.28.1.55.