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Illness cognition and associated socio-demographic and clinical factors in parents of children with leukemia

Authors :
Jing Han
Li Zhang
Feng Yang
Linlin Wang
Source :
BMC Psychology, Vol 12, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
BMC, 2024.

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Illness cognition is an important mediator between psychological and behavioral adjustment and the quality of life for patients and their caregivers. Evidence related to illness cognition among parents of children with leukemia is limited. The purpose of this study is to explore the illness cognition status and associated factors in parents of children with leukemia. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with the parents of 335 children with leukemia from three general children’s hospitals in China from January to December 2022. A parents’ version of the illness cognition questionnaire was used to collect data. This included three subscales: helplessness, acceptance, and perceived benefits. Results The mean scores of helplessness, acceptance and perceived benefits of parents regarding their children’s disease were 15.56 (4.60), 16.25 (4.41), and 19.96 (3.69) respectively. The multiple regression model indicated seven factors associated with the parents’ illness cognition (adjusted R [2] ranged from 0.182 to 0.134): four socio-demographic factors (parent’s age, role, education level, and family income) and three clinical factors (length of time spent each day caring for the child, the child’s age at diagnosis, and the duration of the disease). Conclusion This study reports on different levels of illness cognition and associated factors among parents of children with leukemia. The results may help pediatric oncology medical staff identify risk factors for poor psychological adjustment to children’s diseases. Parents may benefit from psychological support aimed at improving positive illness cognition.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20507283
Volume :
12
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
BMC Psychology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.83ea5ecc421846f9b0f5d04e4c57760a
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01798-3