TY - JOUR
T1 - Growing up after childhood cancer: maturity and life satisfaction in young adulthood
AU - Dattilo, Taylor M.
AU - Olshefski, Randal S.
AU - Nahata, Leena
AU - Hansen-Moore, Jennifer A.
AU - Gerhardt, Cynthia A.
AU - Lehmann, Vicky
N1 - Funding Information: Parts of this study were funded by a grant from the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Lehmann) and a grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS;UL1TR002733). Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/11
Y1 - 2021/11
N2 - Purpose: Young individuals face a variety of developmental tasks as they mature into adulthood. For survivors of childhood cancer, growing up may be more difficult due to their illness and late effects from treatment. This study is the first to quantitatively examine perceptions of maturity and how these perceptions contribute to satisfaction with life among young adult survivors of childhood cancer. Methods: Ninety survivors of childhood cancer (Mage = 29.8; 7–37 years post-diagnosis) were recruited to complete online surveys on how mature they felt relative to peers, their perceived maturity on three domains (financial, personal, social), and life satisfaction. Results: Most survivors (62%; n = 56) felt they grew up faster than their peers, and over half (56%; n = 50) felt more mature. Perceived maturity was high on all three domains, but brain tumor survivors reported significantly lower maturity than other survivors (d = 0.76–1.11). All maturity domains were positively associated with life satisfaction (r =.49–.56). Hierarchical linear regressions indicated that 44% of the variance in life satisfaction was explained by perceptions of growing up slower (β = − 1.08, p =.004) and marginally by greater perceived personal maturity (β = 0.45, p =.061). Conclusions: Childhood cancer can influence development, with most survivors feeling that they grew up faster and were more mature than peers. Personal maturity was related to life satisfaction, with survivors of brain tumors or those who felt they grew up slower at greatest risk for lower life satisfaction. Future research and clinical practice should consider survivors’ development and maturation across the life span to promote overall well-being.
AB - Purpose: Young individuals face a variety of developmental tasks as they mature into adulthood. For survivors of childhood cancer, growing up may be more difficult due to their illness and late effects from treatment. This study is the first to quantitatively examine perceptions of maturity and how these perceptions contribute to satisfaction with life among young adult survivors of childhood cancer. Methods: Ninety survivors of childhood cancer (Mage = 29.8; 7–37 years post-diagnosis) were recruited to complete online surveys on how mature they felt relative to peers, their perceived maturity on three domains (financial, personal, social), and life satisfaction. Results: Most survivors (62%; n = 56) felt they grew up faster than their peers, and over half (56%; n = 50) felt more mature. Perceived maturity was high on all three domains, but brain tumor survivors reported significantly lower maturity than other survivors (d = 0.76–1.11). All maturity domains were positively associated with life satisfaction (r =.49–.56). Hierarchical linear regressions indicated that 44% of the variance in life satisfaction was explained by perceptions of growing up slower (β = − 1.08, p =.004) and marginally by greater perceived personal maturity (β = 0.45, p =.061). Conclusions: Childhood cancer can influence development, with most survivors feeling that they grew up faster and were more mature than peers. Personal maturity was related to life satisfaction, with survivors of brain tumors or those who felt they grew up slower at greatest risk for lower life satisfaction. Future research and clinical practice should consider survivors’ development and maturation across the life span to promote overall well-being.
KW - Childhood cancer
KW - Life satisfaction
KW - Maturity
KW - Oncology
KW - Survivor
KW - Young adulthood
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85105429151&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-021-06260-3
DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-021-06260-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 33961121
SN - 0941-4355
VL - 29
SP - 6661
EP - 6668
JO - Supportive Care in Cancer
JF - Supportive Care in Cancer
IS - 11
ER -