Shared spiritual beliefs between adolescents with cancer and their families

Abstract

BACKGROUND: FAmily CEntered (FACE) Advance Care Planning helps family decision makers to understand and honor patients’ preferences for future health care, if patients cannot communicate. Spiritual well-being is a key domain of pediatric oncology care and an integral dimension of pediatric advance care planning. PROCEDURE: As part of four-site randomized controlled trial of FACE for teens with cancer, the functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-spiritual well-being- version 4 (FACIT-Sp-EX-4) was completed independently by 126 adolescents with cancer/family dyads. The prevalence-adjusted and bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK) measured congruence on FACIT-Sp-EX-4. RESULTS: Adolescents (126) had mean age of 16.9 years, were 57% female and 79% White. Religious/spiritual classifications were: Catholic (n = 18), Protestant (n = 76), Mormon (n = 3), none/atheist (n = 22), other (n = 5), and unknown (n = 2). Agreement at item level between spiritual well-being of adolescents and families was assessed. Three items had ≥90% agreement and Excellent PABAK: “I have a reason for living,” “I feel loved,” “I feel compassion for others in the difficulties they are facing.” Three items had <61% agreement and Poor PABAK: "I feel a sense of harmony within myself," "My illness has strengthened my faith or spiritual beliefs," "I feel connected to a higher power (or God)." Dyadic congruence was compared by social-demographics using median one-way analysis. Male family members (median = 72%) were less likely to share spiritual beliefs with their adolescent than female family members (median = 83%), P = .0194. CONCLUSIONS: Family members may not share spiritual beliefs with adolescents and may be unaware of the importance of spiritual well-being for adolescents.