Purpose: Improved survival rates of pediatric cancer have drawn attention on how to best facilitate long-term follow up and transition from pediatric to adult care. The transition process is multifactorial and necessitates the joint involvement of the patient, the family and the healthcare providers. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of support from healthcare services during the transition from adolescence to adulthood described by young adult survivors of pediatric cancer.

Methods: A mixed method with a convergent parallel design was used to evaluate the experiences of receiving support from healthcare services (eg pediatric oncology and pediatric clinic) during transition from adolescence to adulthood described by young adult survivors of pediatric cancer (n = 213) in a nation wide cross-sectional survey.

Results: A quantitative assessment of the experienced extent and satisfaction of support from healthcare services to handle physical, mental and social changes to continue life after the disease showed that a majority of the participants had received insufficient support. The qualitative analysis indicated a need for equal roles in healthcare to promote participation, a need to manage and process consequences of the disease, and a need for continuous support.

Conclusions: During transition to adulthood, there's a need for a personalized care plan that takes a holistic approach towards supporting the young cancer survivor in managing life in the best way. Identifying and handling the individual needs of pediatric cancer survivors is important for providing the resources and support required to increase the likelihood of successful transition to adulthood. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.

Background

Health promotion for children with cancer should be based on the children's own needs and desires. Because there is a lack of knowledge in this area, the aim of this study was to explore what promotes health from the perspective of children with experience of cancer treatment.

Methods

Fifteen children between 8 and 12 years of age participated in focus groups with three children in each group. The children were given a camera and instructions to photograph subjects that promote their health. Focus group discussions were based on the photographs and the children's own description of those photographs. The analysis of focus group discussions and photographs was conducted using inductive content analysis.

Results

According to the children, health-promoting factors are defined as meaningful relationships, recreational activities and a trustful environment. Meaningful relationships include togetherness within the family, affection for pets and friendship with peers. Recreational activities include engagement in play and leisure, withdrawal for relaxation and feeling enjoyment. Trustful environment includes confidence in significant others and feeling safe.

Conclusions

Knowledge from this study can contribute to health promotion interventions and quality improvements in the health care of children with experience of cancer treatment. Children's experiences with what promotes health in their everyday lives provide a better understanding of the type of support children prefer when promoting their own health. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

In recent years, a number of studies have demonstrated that stress and mental health problems have increased among adolescents and especially among girls, although little is still known concerning what girls experience in their everyday lives. The aim of this study was to describe the phenomenon of teenage girls’ everyday lives, as experienced by the girls themselves. A phenomenological approach of reflective lifeworld research was used, and the findings are based on eight qualitative interviews with girls aged 13–16 years. The essence of teenage girls’ everyday lives as experienced by the girls themselves can be described as consciousness regarding demands and unfairness and regarding the importance of connectedness and security. The girls are aware of the demands of appearance and success, and they are conscious of the gender differences in school and in the media that affect them. The girls are also conscious about the meaning of connectedness with friends and family, as well as the importance of the security of their confidence in friends and feeling safe where they stay. If teenage girls feel connected and secure, protective factors in the form of manageability and meaningfulness can act as a counterweight to the demands and unfairness of everyday life. For professionals who work with teenage girls, the results from this study can be important in their work to support these girls.

Friendships are significant to child development and health but diseases such as cancer can interrupt the contact with friends. The purpose of this study was to describe perceptions of friendship from the perspective of children undergoing cancer treatment, in order to build knowledge that can be used in a health promotion intervention for these children. Fifteen children between 8 and 12 years of age participated in focus groups, where a mixture of informative and creative techniques were used. The focus group discussions were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The analysis resulted in three generic categories, “Common interests and experiences,” “Mutual empathic actions.” and “Mutual trust and understanding,” incorporating seven subcategories. Based on children’s descriptions from a salutogenic perspective, friendship emerged as An equal and mutual commitment that evolves over time and with interactions face-to-face and digitally, a child perspective on friendship should be central to the development of health promotion interventions designed to support friendship relations of children treated for cancer. © 2014 by Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses

Background: Adolescents' mental health is a major public health issue. Previous research has shown that socio-economic factors contribute to the health status of adolescents. The present study explores the association between socio-economic status and self-rated mental health among adolescents.

Methods: Cross sectional data from the Halmstad Youth Quality of Life cohort was collected in a town in Sweden. In all, 948 adolescents (11-13 younger age group and 14-16 older age group) participated. Information on self-rated mental health was collected from the subscale Psychological functioning in the Minneapolis Manchester Quality of Life instrument. The items were summarized into a total score and dichotomized by the mean. Indicators measuring socio-economic status (SES) were collected in a questionnaire using the Family Affluence Scale (FAS) and additional factors regarding parents' marital status and migration were added. Logistic models were used to analyze the data.

Results: Girls were more likely to rate their mental health below the mean compared to boys. With regard to FAS (high, medium, low), there was a significantly increased risk of self-rated mental health below the mean among younger boys in the medium FAS score OR; 2.68 (95% CI 1.35;5.33) and among older boys in the low FAS score OR; 2.37 (1.02;5.52) compared to boys in the high FAS score. No such trend was seen among girls. For younger girls there was a significant protective association between having parents born abroad and self-rated mental health below mean OR: 0.47 (0.24;0.91).

Conclusions: A complex pattern of associations between SES and self-rated mental health, divergent between age and gender groups, was shown. The total FAS score was only associated with boys' self-rated mental health in both age groups, whereas parents' migratory status influenced only the girls' self-rated mental health. Because of the different association for girls' and boys' self-rated mental health and SES, other factors than SES should also be considered when investigating and exploring the mental health of adolescents in affluent communities. © 2014 Hutton et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Att drabbas av en svår eller kronisk sjukdom under barndomen kan bidra till fysiska och psykosociala svårigheter senare i livet. Kamratstöd mellan individer som delar samma erfarenhet är en viktig främjande faktor till hälsa och välbefinnande och kan verka som en buffert mot stress och motgångar. Empirisk evidens som kan vägleda utveckling av digitala och interaktiva lösningar för kamratstöd mellan barn som drabbas av sjukdom i skolåldern är idag begränsad. Den process som presenteras här är fokuserad på att etablera metodologi för barns delaktighet i innovationsprocesser och att fånga barns bakomliggande beteenden och mål relaterat till kamratstödjande processer och hälsa. Intervjuer i fokusgrupper är en teknik som främjar barns deltagande och fångar barns perspektiv, förståelse och erfarenhet relaterat till deras hälsa. Friska barn (8-12 år) rekryterades från en lokal grundskola till fyra fokusgrupper med fyra barn i varje grupp. Barnen träffades två gånger med en intervall på 1-2 veckor. Förändringar gjordes mellan varje fokusgrupp för att anpassa strukturen på träffarna till en nivå motsvarande barnens erfarenheter, ålder och förmåga och för att fokusera diskussionerna på innovationsprocessen. En blandning av informativa och kreativa tekniker som öppna frågor, brainstorming, rita och måla och fotografering användes för att underlätta för barnen att uttrycka sig. Barnen framförde efter deltagandet att de tyckte om att delta och ville träffas igen i den här formen av grupp. Vår anpassade struktur på fokusgrupper används idag med barn med erfarenhet av svår sjukdom (cancer) för att ta fram typanvändare (Personas) i innovationsprocessen. Barnen rekryterades från Barnonkologiskt centra i Lund och Hallands sjukhus i Halmstad till fem fokusgrupper med tre barn i varje grupp. Barns delaktighet genom vår metod har förbättrat förutsättningarna att fånga barns mål och beteende och tillfört unikt material till den fortsatta designprocessen.