title: Parental narratives of quality of life in children with leukemia as associated with the placement of a central venous catheter.
abstract: Thirty mothers of children with leukemia were interviewed about the child's and family's daily routines using a version of the Ecocultural Family Interview. Parental narratives were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Four broad dimensions, encompassing 23 subthemes, were identified: child coping (alpha=0.88), child quality of life (alpha=0.72), parental coping (alpha=0.72), and parental trust in the medical care (alpha=0.73). Two objective variables were drawn from the medical charts (time from the diagnosis, time from central venous catheter [CVC] placement). Regression analyses showed that the number of days from the CVC placement (beta=0.46) and child coping (beta=0.44) significantly predicted children's quality of life, which in turn predicted parental trust in the medical care (beta=0.31). The methodological implications of our narrative approach are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tremolada
authors.forename: Vanna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Axia
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pillon
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scrimin
authors.forename: Fabia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Capello
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zanesco
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007938:Leukemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D033262:Narration; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D011788:Quality of Life