Surviving childhood cancer: quality of life and parental regulatory focus.
Applying Regulatory Focus Theory (RFT), the authors predicted that among survivors of childhood cancer, quality of life (QOL) may be compromised by prevention-focused parenting characterized by an overly protective concern with possible mishaps and illness recurrence rather than promotion-focused parenting encouraging expectations of recovery and a normal life. Interviews with parents of 64 survivors (M age = 13.83 years) of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or central nervous system (CNS) tumors were coded for reports of promotion or prevention-oriented parenting and positive and negative expectancies. Overall, parents expressed more promotion than prevention focus, especially in relation to general rather than illness-related contexts. Greater use by parents of prevention focus in general contexts predicted lower QOL for survivors (as rated both by parents and survivors themselves) and less satisfactory parental well-being. These effects were independent of a main effect for type of cancer, with survivors of ALL having higher QOL.
Eiser
Christine
C
Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TP, UK. c.eiser@shef.ac.uk
Eiser
J Richard
JR
Greco
Veronica
V
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires