Parental Factors Impacting Neurobehavioral Late Effects in Latino Pediatric Cancer Survivors

While the survival rate for children with cancer has increased markedly over the past 50 years, the side effects resulting from cancer and cancer treatment have become a major concern for health care providers and families alike. Survivors of childhood cancers are at risk for late occurring sequelae, called late effects, which are associated with disease, chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Neurobehavioral late effects are some of the most debilitating late effects found, particularly in survivors of central nervous system (CNS) cancers. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of clinical and socio-demographic parenting factors on neurological late effects in Latino pediatric CNS cancer survivors. SEM was used to explore the hypothesis that higher parental knowledge, self-efficacy, pro-learning behaviors, and level of acculturation would have an impact on child neurocognitive function and health related quality of life in cancer survivor children. A sample of 73 Latino parents and caregivers were used in this sample. It was found that parent knowledge and self-efficacy indirectly impacted neurobehavioral late effects through child's quality of life. It was also found that more highly acculturated parents tended to display more pro-learning behaviors (help-seeking behaviors, knowledge of school and academics) than parents who were less acculturated.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year

2011

Author dc:creator

• Perez, Pamela R.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Ropacki, Susan A.
• Hartman, Richard E.
• Boyd, Kendal C.
• Distelberg, Brian J.
• Patel, Sunita K.

• Experimental Analysis of Behavior
• Psychology; AIDS (Disease); Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome;
• AIDS
• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
• Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
• Cranial Radiation Therapy
• Neurobehavioral Late Effects
• Pediatric Cancer Survivors
• Latino

Statement dc:rights

• This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/55

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsrepository.llu.edu:etd-1054