Motherhood role concerns in young women with breast cancer: a mixed-methods study

Young breast cancer patients play a key role in parenting and emotional support as core family members. However, breast cancer diagnosis and treatment often interrupt motherhood role function and trigger concerns, which have not been adequately addressed. This study aimed to explore motherhood role concerns in young women with breast cancer through a mixed-methods approach.

The present study used a mixed research method (cross-sectional descriptive and phenomenological qualitative methods) aimed at investigating the level of motherhood role concerns and associated factors (quantitative), and the specific dimensions and content of concerns (qualitative) in young breast cancer patients. In the quantitative study, cluster sampling was conducted between February 2024 and June 2024 in the breast center of a tertiary hospital in China, and the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire was used to collect data. The qualitative study adopted a phenomenological research approach. Using purposive sampling, 20 young breast cancer patients were recruited and engaged in semi-structured interviews to explore their motherhood role concerns.

In the quantitative study, parenting concerns scored 3.24 ± 0.65 (range: somewhat to very concerned). TNM stage (coefficient = 0.526, p = 0.000) and number of children (coefficient = 0.660, p = 0.000) showed positive correlations with parenting concerns, while children's age exhibited a negative correlation (coefficient = -0.555, p = 0.000). Notably, mothers in the active treatment phase reported significantly higher levels of worry than those in the recovery phase, with the surgical phase being the highest (coefficient = 0.939, p = 0.000). In the qualitative study, three aspects of motherhood-related concerns were found: (a) children's physical and emotional care, including inability to care for the child's daily life and the emotional impact on the child; (b) father's parenting ability, including the caring and communication abilities; and (c) challenges faced by the mothers themselves, including difficulty in maintaining a motherhood figure, negative psychological feelings, and reduced social self-worth.

Young women with breast cancer had moderate-to-high level parenting concerns, TNM stage, number of children, treatment stage, and children's age were its associated factors. Their concerns about the motherhood role mainly involved their children's caring, the father's parenting ability, and challenges of themselves. This study can help healthcare professionals address the needs of young women with breast cancer in motherhood roles and provide support to help them cope with the challenges they face.