The Relationship Between Parent Distress and Child Quality of Life in Pediatric Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Problem: Pediatric cancer places both parents and children at risk for psychosocial difficulties, including a specific risk for diminished quality of life. Previous research has identified relationships between parent and child psychosocial adjustment outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety), yet the relationships between parent adjustment and child quality of life have yet to be comprehensively evaluated via meta-analysis.

Eligibility criteria: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using EBSCO, with PsychINFO, MEDLINE, Academic Search Premiere, and Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition.

Sample: Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria.

Results: Fourteen correlations from 1646 parents of children with cancer were evaluated, resulting in a medium-magnitude correlation between parent psychosocial adjustment and child quality of life (r = 0.23, p < .001). Additional analyses evaluating the relationship between parent psychosocial adjustment and child social/emotional quality of life resulted in a medium-magnitude correlation (r = 0.24, p < .001).

Conclusions: A significant relationship exists between parent psychosocial adjustment and child quality of life. However, this relationship appears slightly less strong than those found in meta-analyses evaluating other child psychosocial adjustment outcomes.

Implications: Parent distress is an important factor to evaluate in the context of pediatric cancer, as it appears to have implications for child quality of life, in addition to other child psychosocial adjustment outcomes.

Keywords: Adjustment; Distress; Parents; Pediatric cancer; Quality of life.