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Environmental Predictors of Stress in Children Undergoing Chemotherapy Infusions

TEM Lab ⟩

Children undergoing cancer treatment are at risk for adverse mental and physical health consequences due to repeated exposures to physical and/or psychological stressors. Although it is well documented that cancer therapies are stressful, there is a lack of data regarding the stress response during the entire outpatient chemotherapy infusion (OCI) experience. This prospective cohort study evaluates the stress response of 60 children (4-12 years) and their caregivers during a single one-to-four hour OCI. Stress will be assessed by physiological and behavioral measurements throughout the infusion process. The aims of this project are to document the behavioral and physiological stress response during pediatric OCI, to determine the association between physical and social environmental factors and child/caregiver stress during OCI, and to evaluate the relationship between levels of stress in children and their caregiver during OCI. This project is significant because tailored environmental modification (TEM) interventions have the potential to support patient-centered care, improve the delivery of healthcare services, increase health-related quality of life and treatment adherence, and diminish posttraumatic stress among children with cancer and their families.This work will also serve as a conceptual model for the use of TEM interventions in other pediatric populations undergoing distressing healthcare procedures in the future.

Funding

Type	Source	Number	Amount
Intramural	USC Office of the Provost — Zumberge Fund Individual Grant Program	FY2017	$29,400

USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
1540 Alcazar Street, CHP 133, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003

ACOTE accreditation | NBCOT certification

The USC entry-level master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by ACOTE®. View our program’s ACOTE® standards public data. ACOTE® c/o the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-AOTA, www.acoteonline.org.

Professional program graduates are eligible to apply for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. All states require licensure to practice; a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT® OTR certification examination or attain state licensure. Program results from the NBCOT® can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.