Background: Engaging in physical activity (PA) throughout cancer treatment offers many benefits, but may be challenging due to cancer-related pain. Pain research in pediatric cancer has primarily focused on procedural pain, with fewer studies exploring how pain affects PA. The current study qualitatively investigated the impact of pain on PA in youth with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) using a biopsychosocial framework.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVirtual reality (VR) is an innovative technology with the potential to enhance treatment for children with chronic pain and functional symptoms. Currently, little is known about patients' experiences of VR in the setting of intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment (IIPT). This study aimed to better understand how patients engage with and benefit from VR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Racially minoritized youth with T1D are made vulnerable to disproportionately adverse health outcomes compared to White peers due to enduring systems of oppression. Thus, understanding modifiable psychosocial factors associated with diabetes-related outcomes in racially minoritized youth may help to buffer deleterious effects of racism. One factor meriting exploration is racial-ethnic identity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is an intensive medical procedure that places substantial financial and logistical burdens on families and is associated with significant health risks, such as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and infections. The influence of the social determinants of health (SDoH) on outcomes following pediatric HCT is understudied. This study aimed to examine whether SDoH predicts outcomes following pediatric HCT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Apps have the potential to aid in cancer self-management, but there is limited guidance available for selecting among currently available options. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the behavior change techniques (BCTs) and quality of publicly available cancer self-management apps.
Methods: Cancer self-management apps were identified from the Apple and Google Play stores in April 2022.
Medication adherence is challenging after pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT), particularly after hospital discharge. Post-HCT medication adherence is important to manage morbidity and mortality risk. Designing interventions that are effective and acceptable to caregivers is key to improving post-HCT medication adherence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Taking medications as prescribed after hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) is key for ensuring children's survival; however, suboptimal medication adherence is common. Development of evidence-based interventions to improve medication adherence post-HCT is contingent upon understanding what adherence facilitators (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) is an intensive medical procedure associated with significant late effects, of which pain is a prominent example. While pain is associated with increased depressive symptoms and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) impairments in other pediatric chronic illness populations, associations between these variables are not well understood in pediatric HCT. Clarifying these associations may inform clinical interventions to improve health outcomes following pediatric HCT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Diabetes-specific psychological flexibility (the ability to engage in valued behaviors, be open to internal experiences, with present-moment awareness, while living with diabetes) is associated with HbA1c and health-related quality of life in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Having brief diabetes-specific psychological flexibility assessments that perform equivalently across diverse individuals is important for research and clinical work addressing health disparities. The present study aimed to create 9-and 3-item short forms (DAASito-9 and -3) of the Diabetes Acceptance and Action Scale (DAAS-22), and evaluate their validity, reliability, and measurement invariance (MI).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Medications are critical for reducing morbidity and mortality risk in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT). Nonetheless, medication adherence is suboptimal in this population. Identifying and managing barriers to medication management (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Youth with craniopharyngioma experience weight gain, fragmented sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), fatigue, and psychosocial problems that negatively impact their overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Greater hypothalamic tumor involvement (HI) may be associated with higher rates or severity of these impairments; however, the direct and indirect impact of HI on the physical and psychosocial consequences associated with pediatric craniopharyngioma remain unclear. The purpose of the current study was to examine relations between HI, body mass index (BMI), fragmented sleep, EDS, fatigue, psychosocial problems, and HRQoL among youth with craniopharyngioma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Mobile health apps have the potential to promote adherence to headache management through the use of evidence-based behavior change techniques (e.g., self-monitoring).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for families across the world due to fears about infection risk, increased social isolation, and significant changes in family roles and routines. Families with a child undergoing pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) may be at even greater risk for poor adjustment during COVID-19 given their child's increased risk for infection. The purpose of the current study was to qualitatively examine the impact of COVID-19 on family adjustment during pediatric HCT to inform clinical care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Social and Emotional Assets and Resilience Scale (SEARS) is a promising instrument for prediction of resilience in youth; however, there is limited data to support its use. The purpose of the current study was to examine the factor structure, measurement invariance, internal consistency, and validity of the SEARS-Adolescent Report in youth 8 to 20 years of age. Two hundred and twenty-five childhood cancer survivors ( = 15.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic, costly, and burdensome disease that is typically diagnosed during adolescence. Despite the use of effective treatments, rates of relapse and intestinal inflammation remain high and put patients at risk for long term physical and psychosocial health complications. Given the costs associated with IBD, it is critical to examine potential risk factors of poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients for the enhancement and further development of interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To examine the impact of clinical factors, cognitive deficits, and sleepiness on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among young people with craniopharyngioma.
Method: Seventy-eight patients (67% White; 41 males, 37 females; mean age 10y 8mo, SD 3y 11mo, range 6-20y) with craniopharyngioma were assessed for tumor extent and diabetes insipidus. All patients underwent overnight polysomnography and multiple sleep latency tests after surgical resection.
Objective: The purpose of the study was to develop a short form of the revised diabetes family conflict scale (DFCS) in a racially and income diverse sample while retaining strong psychometric properties.
Methods: One seventy nine youth with type 1 diabetes (ages 12-18 years) and caregivers completed the DFCS-Revised as well as assessments of adherence, psychosocial functioning, and diabetes-related stress. Hemoglobin A1c was also obtained.
Objective: Following the Journal of Pediatric Psychology's special edition on health disparities, calling for Phase 2 research exploring mechanisms of racial groups in health disparities, this study aims to explore social information processing predictors of longitudinal hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) trajectories in a racially diverse group of adolescents. The social information processing model of glycemic control in type 1 diabetes (T1D) posits that adolescents who make negative attributions about reactions of friends are likely to find adherence difficult in social situations, have increased stress, and have suboptimal glycemic control.
Methods: One hundred eighty-four youth with T1D completed self-report measures and HbA1c at three time points within 1 year was extracted from medical records.
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique circumstances that have the potential to both positively and negatively affect pediatric adherence and self-management in youth with chronic medical conditions. The following paper discusses how these circumstances (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To determine reliability and validity of the acceptance and action diabetes questionnaire (AADQ) and the diabetes acceptance and action scale for children and adolescents (DAAS), measures of diabetes-specific psychological flexibility.
Methods: One hundred and eight-one youth with type 1 diabetes completed the AADQ, DAAS, and measures of mindfulness, cognitive fusion, and health-related quality of life. HbA1c was extracted from medical records.
Objective: This study aimed to (a) validate the factor structure for a measure of peer conflict in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D); (b) determine empirical patterns of peer conflict in terms of context (friend vs. nonfriend) and content (diabetes-specific vs. general) within a broader context of socio-demographic factors; and (c) examine how these patterns and socio-demographic factors relate to adolescents' T1D adherence, quality of life, and glycemic control (HbA1c).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The primary objective of this research was to examine patterns of parent-child relationship functioning among pediatric cancer survivors and their caregivers across a variety of relationship indicators (ie, Involvement, Attachment, Communication, Parenting Confidence, and Relational Frustration), and evaluate how these factors relate to psychosocial outcomes in survivors.
Methods: Young survivors aged 10 to 18 and their caregivers (N = 165) completed measures related to posttraumatic stress and general distress. Caregivers also completed assessments of parent-child relationship functioning, and survivors completed assessments of social functioning.
Study Objectives: Children with craniopharyngioma are at risk for excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Multiple Sleep Latency Testing (MSLT) is the gold standard for objective evaluation of EDS; however, it is time and resource intensive. We compared the reliability, sensitivity, and specificity of the modified Epworth Sleepiness Scale (M-ESS) and MSLT in monitoring EDS in children with craniopharyngioma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFType-1 Diabetes (T1D) is a prevalent and costly disorder associated with substantial morbidity that differentially impacts low-income and/or minority adolescents and their families. The primary study objective was to develop a guiding model to inform culturally humble interventions for Mid-southern youth with T1D presenting with multiple correlates of suboptimal glycemic control and their families. In order to develop a clinic specific guiding model, conceptualizations of health, the need/type of intervention thought to be most helpful, the optimal structure, and strategies to improve the cultural/regional fit was ascertained from (A) youth with T1D ( = 13) and caregivers ( = 11) via qualitative interviews and, (B) pediatric endocrinologists and nurse practitioners ( = 6), and (C) nurses, diabetes educators, dietitians, and social workers ( = 9) via focus groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective/background: Youth with craniopharyngioma are at increased risk for excessive daytime sleepiness and narcolepsy. Polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard for diagnosing sleep disorders, but is time-intensive, costly, and does not offer an in vivo measure of typical sleep routine. We determined the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of actigraphy compared with PSG in measuring nocturnal sleep in pediatric craniopharyngioma.
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