A pilot feasibility study of Conexiones, a telephone-delivered cancer parenting education program for Hispanic mothers

Abstract

Objective

To test the short-term impact of Conexiones, a culturally adapted cancer parenting education program for diagnosed child-rearing Hispanic mothers.

Design

Single group, pre-post-test design.

Sample

18 U.S. Hispanic mothers diagnosed within 2 years with early-stage cancer (0–III) raising a child (5–17 years).

Methods

Participants completed consent, baseline measures, and five telephone-delivered Conexiones sessions at 2-week intervals from trained patient educators in English or Spanish. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and at 3 months.

Results

Maternal depressed mood, parenting self-efficacy, and parenting quality significantly improved. Children’s anxious/depressed mood tended to significantly improve. Outcomes did not co-vary with mothers’ level of acculturation.

Conclusions

Conexiones appears to positively improve Hispanic mothers’ distress and parenting competencies; efficacy testing is warranted within a larger randomized control trial.

Implications for Psychosocial Providers

A brief, culturally adapted cancer parenting education program has potential to enhance Hispanic mothers’ and children’s behavioral-emotional adjustment to a mother’s cancer.

Keywords:

• Cancer^{; .}oncology
• child adjustment
• children
• maternal cancer
• parenting education
• patient counseling
• pilot feasibility study

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the cancer survivors who participated in this study and the research staff who assisted with this study, including Karoline Sondgeroth, MPH/MSW, Isela Garcia, MPH, Adriena Hernandez, BPH, BA, Cecilia Corona, BS, Jasmine Gutierrez, MA, Lilian Marquez, BS, Annel Mena, BS, and Leidi Collazos Diaz, BS. We also thank the clinical recruitment sites that generously donated their time to complete the IRB process at their institutions, review medical records, and recruit patients for this study, including William Adler, MD, Kim Hoffman, RN, and Deborah Brown, RN, Memorial Medical Center-Cancer Center, Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Disclosure statement

There are no relevant financial or non-financial competing interests to report.

Funding

This work was funded by the Partnership for the Advancement of Cancer Research, supported by NCI grants U54 CA132383 (New Mexico State University); U54 CA132381 (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center) and the University of Washington Medical Center Endowed Professorship of Nursing Leadership.

Compliance with ethical standards

This research was approved by the New Mexico State University IRB (file# 16122). The procedures used in this study adhere to the Declaration of Helsinki. The consent form was discussed with subjects including an opportunity to ask questions, prior to giving their written consent.

Data availability statement

Study data are available from the first or corresponding author upon written request.