The Role of Acculturation in Parent-Child Relationships for Adolescent and Young Adult Patients' Adjustment to Cancer

Approximately 70,000 adolescents/young adults (AYAs; ages 15-39) are diagnosed with cancer annually in the United States (NCI, 2015). This psychosocially at-risk group is less studied and understood than other age cohorts, and experience disparities in access to developmentally informed treatment. A sub-demographic amongst this group that is even more-so less studied are immigrant AYAs. As cancer impacts family dynamics and roles, immigrant AYAs face a unique challenge of navigating the cancer experience alongside the acculturative experience. To our knowledge, little to no research exists on the role of acculturation in AYAs and parent-child relationships when coping with cancer. Research exists on conflicts in parent-child relationships due to differences in acculturation known as the acculturative gap. Understanding the role of the acculturative gap as well as overall acculturative attitudes when coping with cancer may be a promising area of focus when conceptualizing care for cancer patients from various backgrounds. Study aims were to: 1) describe ways acculturation relates to how AYA patients adjust to cancer and 2) describe how acculturation across parent-child relationships relate to AYAs adjusting to cancer. Participants included 15 AYA cancer patients who have been diagnosed with cancer at Children's Health (M = 18.1) and 13 caregivers. Demographic variables were collected from medical records and other measures. Qualitative analysis was guided by the principles of grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) and utilized the constant comparative approach. Guided by study aims, qualitative analysis generated three primary sections: Section I: Participants and Aspects of Culture; Section II: Cancer and Acculturation; Section III: Parent-Child Relationships, Cultural Attitudes, and Experiencing Cancer. Results suggest that cancer has a gravitational effect, pulling many participants closer to their heritage culture through various ways culture is performed to cope with the cancer experience. Results also aided in participants ability to recognize ways their cultural identity and parent-child acculturation differences played a role in the cancer treatment through conflicts and related to autonomy, control, and increased sense of burden. Acculturation theory is a framework to guide clinicians, families, peers, friends, and others through future intervention and support strategies to improve coping for immigrant AYA cancer patients. Study results also include recommendations, directly from AYA patient.