Losing a parent to cancer as a teenager : Family cohesion in childhood, teenage, and young adulthood as perceived by bereaved and non-bereaved youths
(2019) In Psycho-Oncology 28(9). p.1845-1853- Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate levels of perceived family cohesion during childhood, teenage years, and young adulthood in cancer-bereaved youths compared with non-bereaved peers.
METHODS: In this nationwide, population-based study, 622 (73%) young adults (aged 18-26) who had lost a parent to cancer 6 to 9 years previously, when they were teenagers (aged 13-16), and 330 (78%) non-bereaved peers from a matched random sample answered a study-specific questionnaire. Associations were assessed using multivariable logistic regression.
RESULTS: Compared with non-bereaved youths, the cancer-bereaved participants were more likely to report poor family cohesion during teenage years (odds ratio [OR] 1.6, 95% CI,... (More)
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate levels of perceived family cohesion during childhood, teenage years, and young adulthood in cancer-bereaved youths compared with non-bereaved peers.
METHODS: In this nationwide, population-based study, 622 (73%) young adults (aged 18-26) who had lost a parent to cancer 6 to 9 years previously, when they were teenagers (aged 13-16), and 330 (78%) non-bereaved peers from a matched random sample answered a study-specific questionnaire. Associations were assessed using multivariable logistic regression.
RESULTS: Compared with non-bereaved youths, the cancer-bereaved participants were more likely to report poor family cohesion during teenage years (odds ratio [OR] 1.6, 95% CI, 1.0-2.4, and 2.3, 95% CI, 1.5-3.5, for paternally and maternally bereaved youths, respectively). This was also seen in young adulthood among maternally bereaved participants (OR 2.5; 95% CI, 1.6-4.1), while there was no difference between paternally bereaved and non-bereaved youths. After controlling for a number of covariates (eg, year of birth, number of siblings, and depression), the adjusted ORs for poor family cohesion remained statistically significant. In a further analysis stratified for gender, this difference in perceived poor family cohesion was only noted in females.
CONCLUSION: Teenage loss of a parent to cancer was associated with perceived poor family cohesion during teenage years. This was also noted in young adulthood among the maternally bereaved. Females were more likely to report poor family cohesion. Our results indicate a need for increased awareness of family cohesion in bereaved-to-be families with teenage offspring, with special attention to gender roles.
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- author
- Birgisdóttir, Dröfn LU ; Bylund Grenklo, Tove ; Nyberg, Tommy ; Kreicbergs, Ulrika ; Steineck, Gunnar and Fürst, Carl J LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2019-09
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Adolescents, Bereavement, Cancer, Family cohesion, Oncology, Parental death, Teenagers, Young adults
- in
- Psycho-Oncology
- volume
- 28
- issue
- 9
- pages
- 9 pages
- publisher
- John Wiley & Sons Inc.
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:31250504
- scopus:85069810215
- ISSN
- 1099-1611
- DOI
- 10.1002/pon.5163
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- © 2019 The Authors Psycho-Oncology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- id
- 3a2959c2-61a6-4405-bdd8-153e83a89d08
- date added to LUP
- 2019-08-08 10:53:30
- date last changed
- 2024-06-26 00:34:27
@article{3a2959c2-61a6-4405-bdd8-153e83a89d08,
abstract = {{<p>OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate levels of perceived family cohesion during childhood, teenage years, and young adulthood in cancer-bereaved youths compared with non-bereaved peers.</p><p>METHODS: In this nationwide, population-based study, 622 (73%) young adults (aged 18-26) who had lost a parent to cancer 6 to 9 years previously, when they were teenagers (aged 13-16), and 330 (78%) non-bereaved peers from a matched random sample answered a study-specific questionnaire. Associations were assessed using multivariable logistic regression.</p><p>RESULTS: Compared with non-bereaved youths, the cancer-bereaved participants were more likely to report poor family cohesion during teenage years (odds ratio [OR] 1.6, 95% CI, 1.0-2.4, and 2.3, 95% CI, 1.5-3.5, for paternally and maternally bereaved youths, respectively). This was also seen in young adulthood among maternally bereaved participants (OR 2.5; 95% CI, 1.6-4.1), while there was no difference between paternally bereaved and non-bereaved youths. After controlling for a number of covariates (eg, year of birth, number of siblings, and depression), the adjusted ORs for poor family cohesion remained statistically significant. In a further analysis stratified for gender, this difference in perceived poor family cohesion was only noted in females.</p><p>CONCLUSION: Teenage loss of a parent to cancer was associated with perceived poor family cohesion during teenage years. This was also noted in young adulthood among the maternally bereaved. Females were more likely to report poor family cohesion. Our results indicate a need for increased awareness of family cohesion in bereaved-to-be families with teenage offspring, with special attention to gender roles.</p>}},
author = {{Birgisdóttir, Dröfn and Bylund Grenklo, Tove and Nyberg, Tommy and Kreicbergs, Ulrika and Steineck, Gunnar and Fürst, Carl J}},
issn = {{1099-1611}},
keywords = {{Adolescents; Bereavement; Cancer; Family cohesion; Oncology; Parental death; Teenagers; Young adults}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{9}},
pages = {{1845--1853}},
publisher = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
series = {{Psycho-Oncology}},
title = {{Losing a parent to cancer as a teenager : Family cohesion in childhood, teenage, and young adulthood as perceived by bereaved and non-bereaved youths}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pon.5163}},
doi = {{10.1002/pon.5163}},
volume = {{28}},
year = {{2019}},
}