Astrid Wallenwein1, Mona Schwarz2, Lutz Goldbeck3. 1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Medical Centre, Steinhoevelstr. 1, 89075, Ulm, Germany. astrid.fidika@uniklinik-ulm.de. 2. Department of Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. 3. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Medical Centre, Ulm, Germany.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Quality of life (QoL) has not been studied up to now in single parents of children with cystic fibrosis (CF). We hypothesized lower QoL compared to parents living together with a partner. We explored whether single parents benefit in a comparable manner from a family-oriented inpatient rehabilitation (FOR) program provided in Germany. METHODS: 260 parents of a child with CF (0-17 years), 40 of them single parents, were included. Their QoL was compared to partnered parents using Student's t test for independent samples. The positive impact of the FOR program on parents' QoL was examined in a subgroup of n = 56 parents using a 2 × 2 analysis of variance with repeated measures on discharge and 6 months later. RESULTS: Single parents reported significantly lower QoL (M = 54.89; SD = 12.44) than partnered parents (M = 61.55; SD = 15.43; t(258) = -2.581; p = .010). Age of the child or employment status did not impact that difference. In the short term they benefit less from a FOR program than partnered parents (group × time effect: F(1) = 4.832; p = .032), but this was no longer the case at the 6-month follow-up (group × time effect: F(1) = 1.443; p = .235). CONCLUSIONS: Single parents are at risk of lower QoL. CF care teams should help these parents in particular when it comes to accessing social support.
PURPOSE: Quality of life (QoL) has not been studied up to now in single parents of children with cystic fibrosis (CF). We hypothesized lower QoL compared to parents living together with a partner. We explored whether single parents benefit in a comparable manner from a family-oriented inpatient rehabilitation (FOR) program provided in Germany. METHODS: 260 parents of a child with CF (0-17 years), 40 of them single parents, were included. Their QoL was compared to partnered parents using Student's t test for independent samples. The positive impact of the FOR program on parents' QoL was examined in a subgroup of n = 56 parents using a 2 × 2 analysis of variance with repeated measures on discharge and 6 months later. RESULTS: Single parents reported significantly lower QoL (M = 54.89; SD = 12.44) than partnered parents (M = 61.55; SD = 15.43; t(258) = -2.581; p = .010). Age of the child or employment status did not impact that difference. In the short term they benefit less from a FOR program than partnered parents (group × time effect: F(1) = 4.832; p = .032), but this was no longer the case at the 6-month follow-up (group × time effect: F(1) = 1.443; p = .235). CONCLUSIONS: Single parents are at risk of lower QoL. CF care teams should help these parents in particular when it comes to accessing social support.
Entities:
Keywords:
Cystic fibrosis; Parental quality of life; Single parents; Single-parent families
Authors: Janneke Hatzmann; Heleen Maurice-Stam; Hugo S A Heymans; Martha A Grootenhuis Journal: Health Qual Life Outcomes Date: 2009-07-28 Impact factor: 3.186