Adjustment responses of children and their mothers to cancer: self-care and anxiety.
OBJECTIVE
To examine children's and their mothers' adjustment responses (self-care and anxiety) to cancer.


METHODS
A descriptive multivariate study.


METHODS
Two metropolitan pediatric oncology clinics.


METHODS
A nonprobability sample of 74.9-18 year olds diagnosed with cancer and their mothers.


METHODS
Children completed two questionnaires--the Children's Self-Care Performance Questionnaire and Children's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Mothers completed the Dependent Care Agent Performance Questionnaire, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and a demographic data form.


RESULTS
Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that children off therapy and their mothers had better adjustment responses than those on therapy. Basic conditioning factors significantly predicted children's self-care practices and state and trait anxiety as well as mothers' dependent-care and state anxiety. A significant canonical correlation surfaced between the set of children's adjustment responses and the set of mothers' adjustment responses.


CONCLUSIONS
Children who have completed treatment for cancer and their mothers have better adjustment responses than those still receiving therapy. Basic conditioning factors predict adjustment responses, and a relationship exists between the adjustment responses of children and those of their mothers.


CONCLUSIONS
Further research is needed to investigate children's self-care practices, determine mothers' dependent-care practices, and compare children with cancer to a normative sample. In clinical practice nurses must consider the profound effect of cancer on the mother and child the anxiety levels of children with cancer and their mothers, and the influence of these individuals on each other.
Moore
J B
JB
College of Nursing and Health Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.
Mosher
R B
RB
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires