Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2014 Nov-Dec;31(6):317-26.
doi: 10.1177/1043454214534532. Epub 2014 Jul 15.

Life satisfaction in adult survivors of childhood brain tumors

Deborah B Crom  1 , Zhenghong Li  2 , Tara M Brinkman  2 , Melissa M Hudson  2 , Gregory T Armstrong  2 , Joseph Neglia  3 , Kirsten K Ness  2
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Life satisfaction in adult survivors of childhood brain tumors

Deborah B Crom et al. J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. 2014 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Adult survivors of childhood brain tumors experience multiple, significant, lifelong deficits as a consequence of their malignancy and therapy. Current survivorship literature documents the substantial impact such impairments have on survivors' physical health and quality of life. Psychosocial reports detail educational, cognitive, and emotional limitations characterizing survivors as especially fragile, often incompetent, and unreliable in evaluating their circumstances. Anecdotal data suggest some survivors report life experiences similar to those of healthy controls. The aim of our investigation was to determine whether life satisfaction in adult survivors of childhood brain tumors differs from that of healthy controls and to identify potential predictors of life satisfaction in survivors. This cross-sectional study compared 78 brain tumor survivors with population-based matched controls. Chi-square tests, t tests, and linear regression models were used to investigate patterns of life satisfaction and identify potential correlates. Results indicated that life satisfaction of adult survivors of childhood brain tumors was similar to that of healthy controls. Survivors' general health expectations emerged as the primary correlate of life satisfaction. Understanding life satisfaction as an important variable will optimize the design of strategies to enhance participation in follow-up care, reduce suffering, and optimize quality of life in this vulnerable population.

Keywords: life satisfaction; pediatric brain tumors; quality of life; survivorship.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Theoretical Framework: Concepts and Conceptual Linkages
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Alonso J, Permanyer-Miralda G, Cascant P, Brotons C, Prieto L, Soler-Soler J. Measuring functional status of chronic coronary patients. Reliability, validity and responsiveness to clinical change of the reduced version of the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI). Eur Heart J. 1997;18(3):414–419. - PubMed
    1. Armstrong GT, Conklin HM, Huang S, Srivastava D, Sanford R, Ellison DW, Morris EB. Survival and long-term health and cognitive outcomes after low-grade glioma. Neuro Oncol. 2011;13(2):223–234. doi: 10.1093/neuonc/noq178. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Armstrong GT, Liu Q, Yasui Y, Huang S, Ness KK, Leisenring W, Packer RJ. Long-term outcomes among adult survivors of childhood central nervous system malignancies in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009;101(13):946–958. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djp148. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Barclay-Goddard R, Epstein JD, Mayo NE. Response shift: a brief overview and proposed research priorities. Qual Life Res. 2009;18(3):335–346. doi: 10.1007/s11136-009-9450-x. - PubMed
    1. Barclay-Goddard R, Lix LM, Tate R, Weinberg L, Mayo NE. Health-related quality of life after stroke: does response shift occur in self-perceived physical function? Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2011;92(11):1762–1769. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2011.06.013. - PubMed

Publication types