Development of a Tool to Measure the Life Situation of Parents of Children with Cancer

• Published in: Quality of life research Vol. 6; no. 3; pp. 248 - 256
• Main Authors: K. Enskär, Carlsson, M., L. von Essen, A. Kreuger, E. Hamrin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Rapid Communications of Oxford Ltd 01-04-1997; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer; Caring sciences; Child; Children; Factor analysis; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Families & family life; family health; Female; Humans; INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREAS; life experiences; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Mothers; neoplasms; Neoplasms - psychology; Parents; Parents & parenting; Parents - psychology; psychometrics; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Quality of Life; Questionnaires; Questionnaires/standards; Reproducibility of Results; School age children; Social life; Social Support; Surveys and Questionnaires - standards; TVÄRVETENSKAPLIGA FORSKNINGSOMRÅDEN; Vårdvetenskap; Wellbeing; Pediatrics; Data analysis; Demography; Disease; Parent; Aptitude test; Physician; Psychometrics; Malignant tumor; Investigation method; Test; Professional practice; Family environment; Metrology; Population; Tumor; Family group; Medical specialty; Factor Analysis; Statistical
• ISSN: 0962-9343; 1573-2649; 1573-2649
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1026462705734

The aim of this study was to test the validity and reliability of the recently developed Life Situation Scale for Parents (LSS-P) among parents of children with cancer. One hundred and ten parents of seventy-four children and adolescents who visited three paediatric wards in Sweden filled out three instruments: The LSS-P, the Quality of Life Scale and the Family Support Scale. The reliability coefficient, Cronbach's alpha, was found to be 0.82 for the LSS-P. A factor analysis with orthogonal varimax rotation of 37 items of the LSS-P gave twelve factors. A higher order factor analysis reduced the factors to four (Care, Well-being, Social life and Preparedness), explaining the underlying dimensions to 57.9%. The total LSS-P correlated significantly with the Quality of Life Scale, and the higher order factor Care with the Family Support Scale. The LSS-P discriminated, in some aspects, between two-parent and single parent families and between parents visiting the ward for treatment or check-up. The conclusion is that this first version of the LSS-P was valid and reliable (internal consistency) to a certain extent, but that the instrument should be tested on larger samples and during different phases of the disease.