The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Quality of Life of Children
with Cancer
Abstract
Background/Objectives Little is known about the COVID-19
pandemic and its impact on the quality of life (QoL) of children with
cancer, who may be more vulnerable to the pandemic’s effects. This paper
examined: (1) associations between COVID-19 exposure and impact on QoL
in children with cancer, and 2) potential moderation based on child’s
cancer status (i.e., time since diagnosis, on/off treatment).
Design/Methods Parents of children with cancer in the US were
recruited February-April 2021 via Facebook and Momcology. Parents
completed the Covid Exposure and Family Impact Scale a child quality of
life measure. Controlling for parent age, income, child age, and child
sex, we examined the indirect effect of COVID impact on the association
between COVID exposure and child QoL, as well as the moderating role of
cancer status. Results Children had lower QoL scores (
M=59.74) than previous reports of QoL in children with cancer (
t(735)=-6.98, p<0.001). Mediation analyses
revealed a significant indirect effect (95%CI[-0.47,-0.13]): higher
exposure was associated with higher impact ( a=0.47,
p<0.001), which was then related to lower QoL (
b=-0.56, p<0.001). Treatment status did not
affect this indirect path; however, the association between impact and
QoL was stronger as time since diagnosis increased
(95%CI[-0.08,-0.001]). Conclusions Parents who report
greater COVID impact may also report lower QoL in their children with
cancer, especially further from diagnosis. Clinicians should be aware of
the negative impact of the pandemic on parents and screen for
COVID-related distress. Additionally, results highlight the importance
of long-term, family-centered care, regardless of children being on or
off treatment.