Family Resilience Factors Associated With Family Adaptation of Children With Acute Leukemia: A Cross-sectional Study.

Abstract

Background: Childhood leukemia critically disrupts family life, needing support for adaptation and resilience.

Objective: Having investigated the main factors influencing the adaptation of families with children with leukemia, we provide support for clinical nurses to develop effective interventions to promote the adaptation of families with children with leukemia in future clinical practice.

Method: This cross-sectional study surveyed 197 parents of children (≤14 years old) with acute leukemia from 4 hospitals in Changsha, China. Four questionnaires assessed family resilience: the Family Hardiness Index, Perceived Social Support Scale, Family Management Measure, and Family Crisis-Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale. Family adaptation was measured using the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale.

Results: The average family adaptation score for families of children with acute leukemia was 48.58 ± 8.71. Key resilience factors included family hardiness (β = .493, P < .001), social support (β = .096, P < .05), parental marital status (β = -6.964, P < .05), parental education level (β = 1.53, P < .05), and family coping strategies (β = .127, P < .05). Together, these factors explained 33.6% of the variance in family adaptation (F = 19.724, P < .001).

Conclusion: Nurses should deliver family-centered care, bolster family resilience, and enhance coping skills, particularly for families with less education or single/divorced parents, to help them navigate the challenges of childhood leukemia.

Implications for practice: The findings hope to guide global nursing support for leukemia patient families.