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The Relationship Between Attitudes Toward Illness and Quality of Life for Children with Cancer and Healthy Siblings

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Abstract

The current study examines the relationship between attitudes toward illness and quality of life for children with cancer and healthy siblings. Children with cancer (n = 65) and healthy siblings of children with cancer (n = 81) completed self-report questionnaires on quality of life and attitudes toward illness. Parents (n = 115) also completed questionnaires about their children’s quality of life. Illness attitudes were related to both self-report [t(57) = 3.94, p < .001] and parent-report [t(56) = 3.991, p < .01] of child quality of life for children with cancer. Illness attitudes were also related to parent-report of sibling quality of life. These findings suggest a relationship between modifiable cognitive factors, such as attitudes, and quality of life for children with cancer and their families.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Child Psychology Program, The University of Kansas, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Room 2015, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA

    Kimberly S. Canter, Cathleen Odar Stough & Michael C. Roberts

  2. Division of Public Health, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Yelena P. Wu

  3. SRCD Office of Policy and Communication, Washington, DC, USA

    Sangeeta Parikshak

  4. Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Michael D. Amylon

Authors
  1. Kimberly S. Canter
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  2. Yelena P. Wu
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  3. Cathleen Odar Stough
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  4. Sangeeta Parikshak
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  5. Michael C. Roberts
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  6. Michael D. Amylon
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Correspondence to Kimberly S. Canter.

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Canter, K.S., Wu, Y.P., Odar Stough, C. et al. The Relationship Between Attitudes Toward Illness and Quality of Life for Children with Cancer and Healthy Siblings. J Child Fam Stud 24, 2693–2698 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-0071-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-0071-9

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