Factors associated with parental activation in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Hematology
• Health Psychology
• Caregiver Support

Background:

• Patient activation is key for chronic disease self-management.
• Caregiver activation is vital in pediatric chronic care.
• Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) requires intensive parental involvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors associated with parental activation in pediatric HSCT.
• To explore the relationship between parental activation and parent-child dyad characteristics.
• To understand parental activation in a high-stress medical context.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 198 parent-child dyads undergoing pediatric HSCT.
• Utilized the Parent Patient Activation Measure (Parent-PAM) to assess parental activation.
• Employed hierarchical linear regression and the Belsky process model.

Main Results:

• Parental age, parent's general health rating, self-activation, and child's illness duration significantly predicted Parent-PAM scores.
• These factors explained a significant portion of the variance in parental activation.
• Identified key demographic and psychosocial correlates of parental activation.

Conclusions:

• Parental activation is a distinct construct in pediatric HSCT, influenced by multiple factors.
• Findings offer insights into supporting parents during demanding pediatric treatments.
• Highlights the need for tailored interventions to enhance parental activation in chronic pediatric illness.