Decision-making Preferences and Its Related Factors on Parents With Children Having Cancer

September 25, 2024 updated by: Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital

A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted in the pediatric hematology-oncology ward and outpatient clinic of a medical center in southern Taiwan. Participants included fathers or mothers of children diagnosed with cancer aged between 20 and 65 years. Structured questionnaires were used, including FACES IV, JCS, and CPS-P. This study aims to explore the current status of family cohesion, coping behaviors, and decision making preferences among parents of children with cancer, and to identify factors influencing decision making preferences.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Pediatric Cancer

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

130

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Taiwan
- - Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    - Kaohsiung Medical University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

Adult
Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study was conducted in the pediatric hematology-oncology ward and outpatient clinic of a medical center in southern Taiwan.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Parents aged between 20 and 65 years whose child has been diagnosed with pediatric cancer by a physician.
Individuals who understand Mandarin or Taiwanese Hokkien and are able to complete the questionnaire.
Individuals who consent to participate in the study after being informed of the research purpose.

Exclusion Criteria:

(1)Individuals diagnosed with a mental illness by a physician.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Exploring the current state of decision-making preferences among parents of children with cancer using the Control Preferences Scale for Pediatrics (CPS-P) Time Frame: Single point in time: At enrollment	The CPS-P is a method for assessing individual preferences in medical decision-making roles, consisting of five options that represent five different roles.(A) I prefer to make the final decision about which treatment my child will receive, (B) I prefer to make the final selection of my child's treatment after seriously considering my doctor's opinion, (C) I prefer that my child's doctor and I share responsibility for deciding which treatment is best for my child, (D) I prefer that my doctor makes the final decision about which treatment will be used, but seriously considers my opinion, (E) I prefer to leave all decisions regarding my child's treatment to my doctor. The five responses are classified into three categories representing active(A and B), collaborative (C) and passive (D and E) decision-making preference.	Single point in time: At enrollment
Exploring the current state of family cohesion among parents of children with cancer using the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES) Time Frame: Single point in time: At enrollment	The evaluation of family functioning involves: (1) Balanced Scales: Cohesion and Flexibility, (2) Unbalanced Scales: Disengaged, Enmeshed, Rigid, and Chaotic, (3) Family Communication, and (4) Family Satisfaction. The instrument consists of eight subscales with a total of 62 items, rated on a five-point Likert scale. The Family Cohesion and Flexibility scales include 42 items (0-42), divided into six sections with scores ranging from 7 to 35 per section. The Family Communication scale, which assesses positive communication and openness, contains 10 items (43-52) with scores ranging from 10 to 50. The Family Satisfaction scale, measuring satisfaction with cohesion, flexibility, and communication, also has 10 items (53-62), scoring from 10 to 50. Higher scores on Cohesion and Flexibility suggest a healthier family system; higher scores on Disengaged, Enmeshed, Rigid, and Chaotic indicate dysfunction; higher scores on Communication and Satisfaction denote more positive perceptions.	Single point in time: At enrollment
Exploring the current coping behaviors of parents of children with cancer using the Jalowiec Coping Scale (JCS) Time Frame: Single point in time: At enrollment	The Jalowiec Coping Scale (JCS) assesses eight types of coping strategies, which are categorized into emotion-oriented and problem-oriented approaches. The emotion-oriented strategies include: evasive strategies (13 items), optimistic strategies (9 items), fatalistic strategies (4 items), emotive strategies (5 items), and palliative strategies (7 items). The problem-oriented strategies include: confrontive strategies (10 items), supportant strategies (5 items), and self-reliant strategies (7 items). It utilizes a four-point Likert scale, where "0 = never used," "1 = seldom used," "2 = sometimes used," and "3 = often used." Higher scores indicate a higher frequency of coping strategy use.	Single point in time: At enrollment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital

Investigators

Principal Investigator: Li-Min Wu, PhD, Kaohsiung Medical University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

August 18, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 17, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

January 17, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 18, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 25, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

October 1, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)