Raising a child with cancer: Impact on parents’ health-related quality of life

Abstract

Background: Having a child with a serious illness like cancer has a detrimental and negative impact on the parents’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Many factors have been identified as being associated with poorer HRQOL. Acquiring knowledge about these factors is essential to enhancing the quality of life (QOL) of children as well as their parents. Aim: This study aims to analyze HRQOL in parents of children with cancer and to explore relationships between parent and child variables and parental quality of life. Materials and Methods: A total of 80 parents of children with cancer were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. To evaluate the parental HRQOL, the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) was used. Results: Child age and time since diagnosis showed a positive correlation with all domains of HRQOL on Spearman’s correlation. A statistically significant difference in SF-36 scores across four cancer groups was seen on the Kruskal–Wallis test. Mothers showed poorer quality of life in the physical role functioning domain as compared to fathers (U = 248, P < 0.01). Conclusion: The present study shows poor HRQOL for parents of children with cancer, despite learning to cope and adjust over time. Parents of children with retinoblastoma demonstrate a poorer QOL as compared to other cancer groups. The study suggests close monitoring of parents’ QOL and the provision of appropriate treatment and psychosocial support for parents along with the treatment of children.