Cancer-related parental beliefs: the Family Illness Beliefs Inventory (FIBI).
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to develop a reliable and valid method for assessing the cancer-related beliefs of parents with a child in treatment for cancer.


METHODS
One hundred twenty-five families (119 mothers, 56 fathers) completed a measure of cancer-related beliefs written to reflect common themes associated with the diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer. Participants also completed self-report questionnaires used for validation of the Family Illness Beliefs Inventory (FIBI).


RESULTS
Principal-components analysis was used to derive a 41-item five-factor solution from the maternal data--Factor 1: Treatment-Related Suffering; Factor 2: Death and Devastation; Factor 3: Caregiver Competence; Factor 4: Connection; and Factor 5: Finding Meaning. Correlations with validation measures supported the factor structure. Paternal data showed similar patterns.


CONCLUSIONS
The FIBI is a psychometrically sound method for identifying parental cancer-related beliefs. This measure may be helpful in developing and evaluating interventions to reduce parental distress related to childhood cancer and promote adaptive family functioning.
Kazak
Anne E
AE
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-3299, USA. kazak@email.chop.edu.
McClure
Kelly S
KS
Alderfer
Melissa A
MA
Hwang
Wei-Ting
WT
Crump
Terry A
TA
Le
Lan T
LT
Deatrick
Janet
J
Simms
Steven
S
Rourke
Mary T
MT
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires