Abstract
189 Background: When a parent is diagnosed with cancer, family functioning may be disrupted, placing children at risk. Little is known, however, about the parenting experiences of cancer survivors. Methods: Among cancer survivors with children age ≤ 20 years at diagnosis (n = 2,375) in the 2012 LIVESTRONG Survey for People Affected by Cancer, we used logistic regression to model the odds that 1) children were not fully emotionally supported or that 2) cancer affected survivors’ ability to provide care for their children. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Predictors included age of youngest child at diagnosis ( ≤ 10 years versus 11-20 years), survivor report of high distress, and confidence obtaining emotional support. Models also controlled for important sociodemographic covariates. Results: Among survivors, 50% reported that their children were not fully emotionally supported, and 58% reported that cancer affected their ability to provide care for their children. Significant predictors of children not being fully emotionally supported included: government insurance (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.0-2.1); annual income ≤ $60,000 (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.3-2.1); being retired (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.2-2.4); or female (OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.1-1.7). Significant predictors of cancer interfering with the ability to provide care for children included: female sex (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.8-2.7), survivor report of high distress (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.4-2.0), having a child ≤ 10 years (OR 2.5; 95% CI 2.0-3.2), or a child who was not fully emotionally supported (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.3-1.9). Survivors with confidence in their ability to obtain emotional support were less likely to report that cancer interfered with their ability to provide care (OR 0.8; 95% CI 0.6-0.9). Conclusions: Many cancer survivors with young children at diagnosis report that cancer or its treatment affects their ability to provide care, or that their children are not fully emotionally supported. Increased attention to the psychosocial needs of parenting cancer survivors is warranted, particularly among women, those with public insurance, lower incomes, children ≤ 10 years and survivors who report high distress levels or inadequate emotional support.