A Hope Intervention to Influence Quality of Life among Female Survivors of Childh

Villanova University, Villanova PA

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The emerging population of childhood cancer survivors has created the need for evidence-based interventions to promote effective psychosocial functioning and to enhance their health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as they experience survivorship. Health-related quality of life has been identified as an important measurable outcome of the cancer experience among childhood cancer survivors. Female survivors have been identified to be at a high risk for negative psychosocial functioning such as poor health-related quality of life. Hope is a powerful coping mechanism and a determinant of HRQOL among pediatric oncology patients. Among adolescent female oncology patients, hope and self-esteem have a strong, positive relationship in which hope supports these individuals'ability to cope with the experience of cancer. The objective of this project is to determine the effectiveness of a nurse-delivered, Web- based intervention to enhance hopefulness among early female survivors of childhood cancer, who are 6 months to 5 years off treatment, and to assess its long-term effects. The Adolescent Self-Sustaining Process (Hinds &Martin, 1988) is the theoretical framework that will guide the delivery of the Hope Intervention Program (HIP) developed by Herth (2001). Study participants will be recruited from Georgetown Medical Center's survivorship program. The constructs of hopefulness, self-esteem, and HRQOL will be compared between those participants who have been randomly assigned to receive the (HIP) and a control group. The Hopefulness Scale for Adolescents, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (Adult Form), and the Minneapolis- Manchester Quality of Life Instrument (for 13-20 years of age) will measure hopefulness, self- esteem, and HRQOL at each data collection time (baseline, 1 week post intervention, 3 months and 6 months post intervention) respectively. To test the study's hypothesis, a 2 x 3 repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (R-MANOVA) will be conducted to examine the group by time interaction. If the group by time interaction is significant, post hoc tests will be conducted to determine at which points in time the two groups differ. Public Health Relevance: The emerging population of adult survivors of childhood cancer in the United States is a high- risk population for medical and psychosocial sequelae that may adversely affect their health status and quality of life. The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) that has tracked the outcomes of 20,346 long-term survivors of childhood cancer has raised the awareness among care providers and researchers about the multiple health issues in survivors of childhood cancer and the need for evidence-based interventions to promote effective psychosocial functioning to enhance their health-related quality of life. These concerns are highlighted in the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) report on improving the care for childhood cancer survivors (Hewitt, Weiner, &Simone, 2003).