Demographic factors affecting psychosocial variables in adolescents with cancer

Abstract

The purpose of this comparative research study was to determine if there were differences in self-esteem, confidence, self-transcendence, ways of coping, symptom distress, and perceived social support by friends by selected demographic variables: age, gender and ethnicity. This study was a secondary data analysis. The participants were 130 adolescents with a diagnosis of cancer. Analysis revealed there were significant difference in ways of coping by age and gender. Older AWC used coping more often than younger AWC. Older AWC use emotive coping more often than younger AWC and older and middle AWC use evasive coping more often than younger AWC. Male AWC cope differently than female adolescents. Male AWC use self-reliant and confrontive coping more than female AWC, and male AWC identify self-reliant coping as more useful. Significant differences were not found based on ethnicity. Implications for nursing practice and suggestions for nursing research and theory development are presented.