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Grandparents of children with cancer: a controlled comparison of perceived family functioning

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Abstract

Purpose

Grandparents can be profoundly emotionally affected when a grandchild is diagnosed with cancer. They also often provide invaluable support for the family (e.g., caring for the sick child and/or siblings). Multigenerational family functioning may therefore change. Limited research has assessed grandparents’ perspectives after their grandchild is diagnosed with cancer. In this study, we aimed to (1) assess differences in perceived family functioning among grandparents of a child with cancer and grandparents of healthy children and (2) assess the cancer-specific and demographic factors related to perceived family functioning in grandparents of a grandchild with cancer.

Procedure

Grandparents of a child with cancer (n = 89) and grandparents of healthy children (n = 133) completed the general functioning, communication, and problem-solving scales of the Family Assessment Device. We used multilevel models with a random intercept to detect (1) between-group differences and (2) identify factors related to perceived family functioning among grandparents with a grandchild with cancer.

Results

Grandparents with a grandchild with cancer reported poorer family functioning than grandparents with healthy grandchildren. Among the grandparents with a grandchild with cancer, impairments in family functioning were correlated with fewer years since diagnosis, providing care to their sick grandchild and/or siblings and living far away from the sick grandchild.

Conclusions

The detrimental impact of childhood cancer likely extends beyond the immediate family members. Including grandparents in interventions—beginning at diagnosis—to reduce distress and increase cohesion for families of a child with cancer is warranted, particularly for grandparents who provide care to their sick grandchild or siblings.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Sarah Ellis, Sixuan Lin, and Dalena Tran for their contributions to this research.

Funding

Claire Wakefield is supported by a Career Development Fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (APP1143767). The Behavioural Sciences Unit is proudly supported by the Kids with Cancer Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Women’s and Children’s Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, 2031, Australia

    Lauren Kelada, C. E. Wakefield, E. L. Doolan & R. J. Cohn

  2. Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital, High Street, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia

    Lauren Kelada, C. E. Wakefield, E. L. Doolan, D. Drew & R. J. Cohn

  3. Behavioral Health Core, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

    L. Wiener

  4. Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy, University of Lucerne, Frohburgstrasse 3, 6002, Lucerne, Switzerland

    G. Michel

  5. Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Finkenhubelweg 11, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    G. Michel

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  1. Lauren Kelada
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  2. C. E. Wakefield
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  3. E. L. Doolan
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  4. D. Drew
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  5. L. Wiener
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  6. G. Michel
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  7. R. J. Cohn
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lauren Kelada.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Control of data

The authors declare they have full control of all primary data and agree to allow the journal to review the data if requested.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Kelada, L., Wakefield, C.E., Doolan, E.L. et al. Grandparents of children with cancer: a controlled comparison of perceived family functioning. Support Care Cancer 27, 2087–2094 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4468-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4468-7

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