title: Development of a tool to measure the life situation of parents of children with cancer.
abstract: The aim of this study was to test the validity and reliability of the recently developed Life Situation Scale for Parents (LSS-P) among parents of children with cancer. One hundred and ten parents of seventy-four children and adolescents who visited three paediatric wards in Sweden filled out three instruments: The LSS-P, the Quality of Life Scale and the Family Support Scale. The reliability coefficient, Cronbach's alpha, was found to be 0.82 for the LSS-P. A factor analysis with orthogonal varimax rotation of 37 items of the LSS-P gave twelve factors. A higher order factor analysis reduced the factors to four (Care, Well-being, Social life and Preparedness), explaining the underlying dimensions to 57.9%. The total LSS-P correlated significantly with the Quality of Life Scale, and the higher order factor Care with the Family Support Scale. The LSS-P discriminated, in some aspects, between two-parent visiting the ward for treatment or check-up. The conclusion is that this first version of the LSS-P was valid and reliable (internal consistency) to a certain extent, but that the instrument should be tested on larger samples and during different phases of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Caring Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Enskär
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: von Essen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kreuger
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hamrin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*