Corinne Crammer

A population-based study of prevalence of complementary methods use by cancer survivors: a report from the American Cancer Society's studies of cancer survivors

The use of complementary methods (CMs) is widespread and increasing in the United States. Most literature on CM use among cancer survivors focuses on the treatment period, whereas only a few studies address use further along the cancer continuum.

An examination of the 3-factor model and structural invariance across racial/ethnic groups for the FACIT-Sp: a report from the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer Survivors-II (SCS-II).

Objectives: Recent confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Spiritual Well‐Being (FACIT‐Sp) Scale in a sample of predominantly white women demonstrated that three factors, Meaning, Peace, and Faith, represented a psychometric improvement over the original 2‐factor model. The present study tested these findings in a more diverse sample, assessed the stability of the model across racial/ethnic groups, and tested the contribution of a new item.

Individual and dyadic relations between spiritual well-being and quality of life among cancer survivors and their spousal caregivers

Objectives: There is evidence that cancer generates existential and spiritual concerns for both survivors and caregivers, and that the survivors spiritual well‐being (SWB) is related to his/her own quality of life (QOL). Yet the degree to which the SWB of each member of the couple has an independent association with the partners QOL is unknown. Thus, this study examined individual and dyadic associations of SWB with the QOL of couples dealing with cancer.

Psychological distress of female cancer caregivers: effects of type of cancer and caregivers’ spirituality

IntroductionThis study examined the effects of the survivor’s cancer type (gender-specific vs nongender-specific) and the female caregiver’s spirituality and caregiving stress on the caregiver’s psychological distress. Cancer caregivers, who were nominated by cancer survivors, participated in a nationwide quality-of-life survey with 252 caregivers providing complete data for the variables.Patients and methodsBreast and ovarian cancer were categorized as gender-specific types of cancer (GTC+), whereas kidney, lung, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), and skin melanoma cancers were GTC-. Spirituality, caregiving stress, and psychological distress were measured using the functional assessment of chronic illness therapy—spiritual well-being, stress overload subscale, and profile of mood states—short form, respectively.Results and discussionHierarchical regression analyses revealed that female caregivers whose care recipient was diagnosed with a nongender specific type of cancer (GTC- group) reported higher psychological distress than did the GTC+ group. The GTC- group also reported lower spirituality and higher caregiving stress related to higher psychological distress than did the GTC+ group. In addition, the beneficial effect of spirituality on reducing psychological distress was more pronounced among the GTC- group or when caregiving stress increased.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that female caregivers of survivors with a nongender-specific cancer may benefit from programs designed to reduce their psychological distress, and caregivers who are low in spirituality need help to derive faith and meaning in the context of cancer care.

Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of beliefs regarding cancer risks

Inaccurate beliefs about cancer risk may contribute to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and poor adherence to recommended screening and prevention guidelines. To address this issue the current study assessed the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of scientifically unsubstantiated beliefs about cancer risk in a representative sample of the US population.

Racial/ethnic differences in spiritual well-being among cancer survivors

This study examined racial/ethnic differences in spiritual well-being (SWB) among survivors of cancer. We hypothesized higher levels of Peace and Faith, but not Meaning, among Black and Hispanic survivors compared to White survivors, differences that would be reduced but remain significant after controlling for sociodemographic and medical factors. Hypotheses were tested with data from the American Cancer Society’s Study of Cancer Survivors-II. The FACIT-Sp subscale scores, Meaning, Peace, and Faith assessed SWB, and the SF-36 Physical Component Summary measured functional status. In general, bivariate models supported our initial hypotheses. After adjustment for sociodemographic and medical factors, however, Blacks had higher scores on both Meaning and Peace compared to Hispanics and Whites, and Hispanics’ scores on Peace were higher than Whites’ scores. In contrast, sociodemographic and medical factors had weak associations with Faith scores. The pattern with Faith in bivariate models persisted in the fully adjusted models. Racial/ethnic differences in Meaning and in Peace, important dimensions of SWB, were even stronger after controlling for sociodemographic and medical factors. However, racial/ethnic differences in Faith appeared to remain stable. Further research is needed to determine if racial/ethnic differences in SWB are related to variations in quality of life in survivors of cancer.

Introduction: Charting the landscape of cancer survivors' health‐related outcomes and care

The field of cancer survivorship is characterized by a complex and rapidly evolving landscape. This supplement presents a series of data‐driven articles selected to highlight the breadth of new knowledge in this area of the cancer control continuum that were presented at the Fourth Biennial Cancer Survivorship Research Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, June 2008. Included in the volume is research on the biobehavioral impact of cancer; studies on quality‐of‐life and economic outcomes; and work focused on caregivers, understudied populations, and healthcare providers. Cancer 2009;115(18 suppl):4265–9. Published 2009 by the American Cancer Society.

Cancer Survivors’ Spiritual Well-Being and Use of Complementary Methods: A Report from the American Cancer Society’s Studies of Cancer Survivors

We examined associations between spiritual well-being and CAM use among 4,139 cancer survivors. We also explored the classification of religious/spiritual practices (R/S) as CAMs and alternative subscale structures of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Spiritual Well-being (FACIT-Sp). We evaluated three aspects of spirituality, Faith, Peace, and Meaning, and use of 19 CAMs in 5 domains. Mind–body methods were subdivided into R/S and non-R/S. All FACIT-Sp factors were associated with CAM use, but in different directions: Meaning and Faith were positively associated; Peace was negatively associated. Peace was negatively associated with R/S CAMs, but not non-R/S CAMs. The prevalence of CAM use dropped from 79.3 to 64.8% when R/S items were excluded. These findings confirm an association between spiritual well-being and CAM use, including some non-R/S CAMs, and provide evidence of the benefits of using the three-factor FACIT-Sp solution and treating R/S CAMs as a separate category.

Mass Media and Marketing Communication Promoting Primary and Secondary Cancer Prevention

People often seek and receive cancer information from mass media (including television, radio, print media, and the Internet), and marketing strategies often inform cancer information needs assessment, message development, and channel selection. In this article, we present the discussion of a 2-hour working group convened for a cancer communications workshop held at the 2008 Society of Behavioral Medicine meeting in San Diego, CA. During the session, an interdisciplinary group of investigators discussed the current state of the science for mass media and marketing communication promoting primary and secondary cancer prevention. We discussed current research, new research areas, methodologies and theories needed to move the field forward, and critical areas and disciplines for future research.

Theory-Based Evaluation of an Online Cancer Fatigue Class

Fatigue is a common problem faced by cancer patients and survivors, yet is often overlooked. An online fatigue class is evaluated using measures based on the Health Belief Model (HBM). A sample of 26 survivors and seven caregivers completed pre-class and post-class surveys and a facilitated discussion. Statistically significant improvements were detected in both the fatigue knowledge (p < 0.001) and belief (p < 0.001) scores. Participants reported that the content was accessible and useful. The class had a positive impact on their knowledge and beliefs about cancer fatigue. This suggests that HBM may be an appropriate framework for the evaluation of Internet-based educational interventions.