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Sense of humor, childhood cancer stressors, and outcomes of psychosocial adjustment, immune function, and infection.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Dowling, JS; Hockenberry, M; Gregory, RL
Published in: Journal of pediatric oncology nursing : official journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses
November 2003

The diagnosis, treatment, and side effects of childhood cancer have been described as extremely stressful experiences in the life of a child. Anecdotally, children report that a sense of humor helps them cope with the daily experiences of living with cancer; however, no research has examined sense of humor and childhood cancer stressors. This study investigated the effect of sense of humor on the relationship between cancer stressors and children's psychosocial adjustment to cancer, immune function, and infection using Lazarus and Folkman's theory of stress, appraisal, and coping. A direct relationship was observed between sense of humor and psychosocial adjustment to cancer, such that children with a high sense of humor had greater psychological adjustment, regardless of the amount of cancer stressors. A moderating effect was observed for incidence of infection. As childhood cancer stressors increase, children with high coping humor scores reported fewer incidences of infection than low scorers.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Journal of pediatric oncology nursing : official journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses

DOI

EISSN

1532-8457

ISSN

1043-4542

Publication Date

November 2003

Volume

20

Issue

6

Start / End Page

271 / 292

Related Subject Headings

  • Wit and Humor as Topic
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Social Adjustment
  • Self Concept
  • Saliva
  • Regression Analysis
  • Psychology, Child
  • Psychological Theory
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma
 

Citation

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Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Dowling, J. S., Hockenberry, M., & Gregory, R. L. (2003). Sense of humor, childhood cancer stressors, and outcomes of psychosocial adjustment, immune function, and infection. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing : Official Journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses, 20(6), 271–292. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043454203254046
Dowling, Jacqueline S., Marilyn Hockenberry, and Richard L. Gregory. “Sense of humor, childhood cancer stressors, and outcomes of psychosocial adjustment, immune function, and infection.Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing : Official Journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses 20, no. 6 (November 2003): 271–92. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043454203254046.
Dowling JS, Hockenberry M, Gregory RL. Sense of humor, childhood cancer stressors, and outcomes of psychosocial adjustment, immune function, and infection. Journal of pediatric oncology nursing : official journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses. 2003 Nov;20(6):271–92.
Dowling, Jacqueline S., et al. “Sense of humor, childhood cancer stressors, and outcomes of psychosocial adjustment, immune function, and infection.Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing : Official Journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses, vol. 20, no. 6, Nov. 2003, pp. 271–92. Epmc, doi:10.1177/1043454203254046.
Dowling JS, Hockenberry M, Gregory RL. Sense of humor, childhood cancer stressors, and outcomes of psychosocial adjustment, immune function, and infection. Journal of pediatric oncology nursing : official journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses. 2003 Nov;20(6):271–292.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of pediatric oncology nursing : official journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses

DOI

EISSN

1532-8457

ISSN

1043-4542

Publication Date

November 2003

Volume

20

Issue

6

Start / End Page

271 / 292

Related Subject Headings

  • Wit and Humor as Topic
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Social Adjustment
  • Self Concept
  • Saliva
  • Regression Analysis
  • Psychology, Child
  • Psychological Theory
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma