OBJECTIVE: This seven-site study examined the overall health status, healthcare utilization, somatization, and health-risk behaviors of siblings of children with cancer compared to these factors in matched controls or normative data. The study also examined whether informants (i.e., siblings, parents, physicians) differed in their assessments of the above health domains. DESIGN: Subjects were 254 siblings of children with cancer from seven different pediatric oncology treatment centers that participated in the Sibling Adaptation to Childhood Cancer Collaborative study group. Predictors of the siblings' health status, healthcare utilization, somatization, and health-risk behaviors were identified, and the relationship between these health domains and the siblings' resiliency vs. dysfunctionality were explored via interviews. RESULTS: Overall, siblings were found to be moderately healthy, although siblings report significant problems with sleeping and eating. Healthcare utilization appears to be reduced for siblings. Most importantly, the parents of these siblings are less likely to seek medical help for a variety of conditions for which parents of control children would bring their children to a doctor. A pattern emerged of parental underreporting of sibling health variables when compared to what the siblings themselves reported. When the relationship between health outcomes and the siblings' adaptation to their sick sibling's illness was examined, the resilient and dysfunctional groups significantly differed from each other. It appears that health outcomes are related to sibling adaptation to the changes brought about by their sick sibling's cancer diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The focus of care for families of children with cancer is often limited to the child with cancer. As indicated in this study, the "healthy" siblings may be overlooked in the process. While parents appear to recognize that their "healthy" children are complaining more about aches and pains, they may have little energy or time to attend to the needs of these other family members. It is the intent of this study to document what clinicians may expect and to highlight the need for evaluation of this otherwise neglected group.
OBJECTIVE: This seven-site study examined the overall health status, healthcare utilization, somatization, and health-risk behaviors of siblings of children with cancer compared to these factors in matched controls or normative data. The study also examined whether informants (i.e., siblings, parents, physicians) differed in their assessments of the above health domains. DESIGN: Subjects were 254 siblings of children with cancer from seven different pediatric oncology treatment centers that participated in the Sibling Adaptation to Childhood Cancer Collaborative study group. Predictors of the siblings' health status, healthcare utilization, somatization, and health-risk behaviors were identified, and the relationship between these health domains and the siblings' resiliency vs. dysfunctionality were explored via interviews. RESULTS: Overall, siblings were found to be moderately healthy, although siblings report significant problems with sleeping and eating. Healthcare utilization appears to be reduced for siblings. Most importantly, the parents of these siblings are less likely to seek medical help for a variety of conditions for which parents of control children would bring their children to a doctor. A pattern emerged of parental underreporting of sibling health variables when compared to what the siblings themselves reported. When the relationship between health outcomes and the siblings' adaptation to their sick sibling's illness was examined, the resilient and dysfunctional groups significantly differed from each other. It appears that health outcomes are related to sibling adaptation to the changes brought about by their sick sibling's cancer diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The focus of care for families of children with cancer is often limited to the child with cancer. As indicated in this study, the "healthy" siblings may be overlooked in the process. While parents appear to recognize that their "healthy" children are complaining more about aches and pains, they may have little energy or time to attend to the needs of these other family members. It is the intent of this study to document what clinicians may expect and to highlight the need for evaluation of this otherwise neglected group.
Authors: E Anne Lown; Ann C Mertens; Rachael A Korcha; Wendy Leisenring; Melissa M Hudson; Thomas K Greenfield; Leslie L Robison; Lonnie K Zeltzer Journal: Psychooncology Date: 2012-06-27 Impact factor: 3.894
Authors: Qian Lu; Kevin R Krull; Wendy Leisenring; Jason E Owen; Toana Kawashima; Jennie C I Tsao; Bradley Zebrack; Ann Mertens; Gregory T Armstrong; Marilyn Stovall; Leslie L Robison; Lonnie K Zeltzer Journal: Pain Date: 2011-09-09 Impact factor: 6.961
Authors: David Buchbinder; Jacqueline Casillas; Kevin R Krull; Pam Goodman; Wendy Leisenring; Christopher Recklitis; Melissa A Alderfer; Leslie L Robison; Gregory T Armstrong; Alicia Kunin-Batson; Margaret Stuber; Lonnie K Zeltzer Journal: Psychooncology Date: 2010-10-22 Impact factor: 3.894
Authors: Brad J Zebrack; Margaret L Stuber; Kathleen A Meeske; Sean Phipps; Kevin R Krull; Qi Liu; Yutaka Yasui; Carla Parry; Rachel Hamilton; Leslie L Robison; Lonnie K Zeltzer Journal: Psychooncology Date: 2011-03-22 Impact factor: 3.894
Authors: E Anne Lown; Robert Goldsby; Ann C Mertens; Thomas Greenfield; Jason Bond; John Whitton; Rachael Korcha; Leslie L Robison; Lonnie K Zeltzer Journal: Addiction Date: 2008-07 Impact factor: 6.526
Authors: David Buchbinder; Ann C Mertens; Lonnie K Zeltzer; Wendy Leisenring; Pam Goodman; E Anne Lown; Melissa A Alderfer; Christopher Recklitis; Kevin Oeffinger; Gregory T Armstrong; Melissa Hudson; Leslie L Robison; Jacqueline Casillas Journal: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev Date: 2012-05-10 Impact factor: 4.254