TY - JOUR
T1 - Living With Cancer
T2 - Child–Parent Dyads’ Perspectives and Experiences From a Private Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan
AU - Sajjad, Sehrish
AU - Barolia, Rubina
AU - Gul, Raisa B.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - The life experiences of children with cancer and their parents as individuals have been well documented in literature. However, little is known about their experiences as child–parent dyads in Pakistan regarding these children’s quality of life. Thus, the study was conducted in the context of the family-centric society of Pakistan. In-depth interviews were conducted with 28 participants (14 child–parent dyads), comprising 9 female and 5 male children receiving cancer treatment and 8 mothers and 6 fathers (primary caregivers). All the participants were Muslims and hailed from diverse ethnic backgrounds, and most belonged to middle socioeconomic backgrounds. Thematic analysis was performed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) framework, which revealed four themes: (1) Stress, Fears, and Optimism; (2) Reactions to Restrictions; (3) Adaptation and Coping; and (4) Support Structure and Mechanisms. The findings indicated that children’s and parents’ daily lives were affected in various ways during the children’s cancer journey. They faced several challenges which impacted their well-being. Particularly, the children considered their symptoms as restrictions in the way of carrying out their routine lives. However, children and parents also elaborated on using different coping strategies, such as play, reminiscing the past, incorporating religious practices into their daily routines, and keeping a family-centred approach towards the child’s care. The parents also recommended that cancer-specialised services and support groups should be accessible. Conclusively, these findings are useful for healthcare providers in giving family-centred care to afflicted families and devising innovative interventions that address the needs of children with cancer and improve their quality of life.
AB - The life experiences of children with cancer and their parents as individuals have been well documented in literature. However, little is known about their experiences as child–parent dyads in Pakistan regarding these children’s quality of life. Thus, the study was conducted in the context of the family-centric society of Pakistan. In-depth interviews were conducted with 28 participants (14 child–parent dyads), comprising 9 female and 5 male children receiving cancer treatment and 8 mothers and 6 fathers (primary caregivers). All the participants were Muslims and hailed from diverse ethnic backgrounds, and most belonged to middle socioeconomic backgrounds. Thematic analysis was performed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) framework, which revealed four themes: (1) Stress, Fears, and Optimism; (2) Reactions to Restrictions; (3) Adaptation and Coping; and (4) Support Structure and Mechanisms. The findings indicated that children’s and parents’ daily lives were affected in various ways during the children’s cancer journey. They faced several challenges which impacted their well-being. Particularly, the children considered their symptoms as restrictions in the way of carrying out their routine lives. However, children and parents also elaborated on using different coping strategies, such as play, reminiscing the past, incorporating religious practices into their daily routines, and keeping a family-centred approach towards the child’s care. The parents also recommended that cancer-specialised services and support groups should be accessible. Conclusively, these findings are useful for healthcare providers in giving family-centred care to afflicted families and devising innovative interventions that address the needs of children with cancer and improve their quality of life.
KW - children with cancer;
KW - child–parent dyads;
KW - health-related quality of life
KW - Pakistan;
KW - qualitative inquiry;
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85200675251&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/10497323241255636
DO - 10.1177/10497323241255636
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85200675251
SN - 1049-7323
JO - Qualitative Health Research
JF - Qualitative Health Research
ER -