Surviving childhood cancer: Quality of life and parental regulatory focus

Applying Regulatory Focus Theory (RFT), the authors predicted that among survivors of childhood cancer, quality of life (QOL) may be compromised by prevention-focused parenting characterized by an overlyprotective concern with possible mishaps and illness recurrence rather than Promotion-focused parenting encouraging expectations of recovery and a normal life. Interviews with parents of 64 survivors (M age = 13.83 years) of acute lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) or central nervous system (CNS) tumors were coded for reports of promotion or prevention-oriented parenting and positive and negative expectancies. Overall, parents expressed more promotion than prevention focus, especially in relation to general rather than illness-related contexts. Greater use by Parents of prevention focus in general contexts predicted lower QOL for survivors (as rated both by parents and survivors themselves) and less satisfactory Parental well-being. These effects were independent of a main effect for type of cancer, with survivors of ALL having higher QOL.