Graduation Year
2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Degree Granting Department
Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling
Major Professor
Marilyn Stern, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Heewon Gray, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Linda Callejas, Ph.D.
Keywords
Fragility, Parenting, Obesity, Chronic Illness
Abstract
This study examined how perceived parental vulnerability is expressed among parents of pediatric cancer survivors and explored potential differences between Spanish-speaking and English-speaking families. Data were drawn from an existing ongoing clinical trial in the IHOPE lab of the University of South Florida, who collaborates with over 10 pediatric cancer survivorship clinics across the country. The study used a total of 26 (13 Spanish-speaking and 13 English-speaking) structured interview transcripts from parent participants. The transcripts were the first session with the parent participant, the interventionist spoke the parent’s preferred language (English or Spanish), perceived parental vulnerability was one of six topics discussed in the session. Data were analyzed and coded by 2 coders, through Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis, supplemented by elements of content analysis, using NVivo 15 software. The main researcher developed a code book detailing codes of: fear of relapse, hypervigilance, parental strain, guilt-driven permissiveness, and difficulty with autonomy, these codes reflect perceived parental vulnerability of pediatric cancer survivors within the transcripts. From those codes, themes of persistent threat perception, emotional residue of illness, and protective parenting responses surfaced. Parental strain was coded the most in all the transcripts, following guilt-driven permissiveness, hypervigilance and difficulty with autonomy, and least coded for fear of relapse. There were more codes in the English-speaking transcripts when compared to the Spanish-speaking transcripts, although the codes were not evenly distributed, with some transcripts having more codes than others. Findings underscore the importance of cultural and linguistic context in understanding how parental vulnerability manifests among pediatric cancer survivors. Recognizing culturally specific communication styles can improve sensitivity of psychosocial interventions
Scholar Commons Citation
Pineiro, Yusnavi Martinez, "Exploring Perceived Parental Vulnerability in Pediatric Cancer Survivors: A Comparative Thematic Analysis of English and Spanish-Speaking Families." (2025). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/11090
