Parental Quality of Life in Childhood Cancer: Social Support as a Predictor and the Limited Association of Father Involvement

Sawsan Abuhammad,1,2 Shaher Hamaideh,3 Hossam Alhawatmeh,4 Rowaida Almaaitah,5 Amal Abu Ghosh,6 Reema Kiewan2 1Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; 2Department of Maternal and Child Health, Faculty of Nursing, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan; 3Department of Community and Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan; 4Department of Adult Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan; 5Department of Community and Mental Health, Faculty of Nursing, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan; 6Department of Pediatric, King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, JordanCorrespondence: Sawsan Abuhammad, Department of Nursing, Collage of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Email [email protected]: Parents caring for a child with cancer face substantial burdens that can diminish parental quality of life (QoL). Social support is often protective, yet the independent contribution of father involvement remains uncertain, particularly in Jordan. This study evaluated how perceived social support and father involvement relate to parental QoL.Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 547 parents of children receiving cancer care at any setting for cancer in Jordan completed validated measures of parental QoL [SF-36], perceived social support, and father involvement [IFI]. Data were collected between March 2022 and March 2023.Results: Mean QoL (SF-36 total) was 63.36 (SD = 6.48), indicating a moderate level on the 0– 100 scale. Family/social support averaged 11.5 (SD = 4.9); endorsement of moral support (77%) and advice availability (72%) was common. Family/social support was positively associated with QoL (r =0.152, p =0.01; small effect). Father involvement showed no association with QoL (r =0.031, p =0.452). The overall regression model was significant (F = 18.3, p =0.01). Independent predictors of higher QoL were higher monthly income (B = 4.417, p < 0.001), marital status (being single vs married associated with lower QoL; B = − 6.325, p =0.002), place of residence (urban vs village associated with lower QoL; B = − 3.387, p =0.004), and health insurance (B = 2.594, p =0.037).Conclusions and implications: In Jordan, perceived social support was a significant predictor of better QoL, whereas father involvement was not independently associated. Strengthening accessible, multi-source social support should be prioritized in caregiver interventions. Routine screening for social support in pediatric oncology and embedding support navigation, peer groups, and linkage to community resources may yield greater QoL gains than interventions focused primarily on increasing father involvement.Keywords: QoL, cancer, social support