Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 3, 2025
10:31
A Multi-Modal Approach to Assessing Recovery in Youth Athletes Following Concussion
Published on: September 25, 2014
13.8K
Concordance between paediatric self-reports and parent proxy reports on fatigue: A multicentre prospective
Elena Rostagno1, Anna Marchetti2, Anna Bergadano3
1Department of Biomedicine and Prevention University of Roma Tor Vergata, Italy; Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Unit University of Bologna Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital Via Massarenti, 11 40138, Bologna, Italy.
Summary
Parent and child agreement on cancer-related fatigue improves over time. This study found moderate concordance at diagnosis, reaching good agreement one year later in pediatric cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Clinical Psychology
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
Background:
- Cancer diagnosis in children and adolescents often leads to significant fatigue.
- Accurate assessment of fatigue is crucial for effective symptom management and supportive care.
- Understanding the agreement between patient and parent perspectives on fatigue is vital for comprehensive care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the level of agreement on fatigue assessment between pediatric cancer patients and their parents.
- To examine how this agreement changes longitudinally following cancer diagnosis.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter, longitudinal study design was employed.
- Data were collected from 134 patient-caregiver dyads.
- Fatigue was assessed at diagnosis and at one-year follow-up.
Main Results:
- Nearly 90% of patients reported mild to moderate fatigue at diagnosis, decreasing to 69.7% at one year.
- Concordance on total fatigue assessment improved from moderate at diagnosis to good at the one-year mark.
- The mean age of patients was 11.7 years, and caregivers' mean age was 44.1 years.
Conclusions:
- This is the first longitudinal study to investigate concordance between pediatric self-reports and parent proxy reports of fatigue.
- The findings demonstrate that concordance between patient and parent reports on fatigue significantly improves over the first year after cancer diagnosis.
- Achieving good concordance suggests that parent proxy reports become more aligned with patient experiences of fatigue over time, aiding in clinical assessment.
