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Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing
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Sense of Humor, Childhood Cancer Stressors, and Outcomes of Psychosocial Adjustment, Immune Function, and Infection

Jacqueline S. Dowling, PhD, RN

University of Massachusetts Lowell Department of Nursing, 3 Solomont Way, Suite 2 Lowell, MA 01854-5126

Marilyn Hockenberry, PhD, RN-CS, PNP, FAAN

Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX

Richard L. Gregory, PhD

Indiana University Schools of Dentistry and Medicine, Indianapolis IN

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.

Key Words: sense of humor • stress • children • cancer

Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, Vol. 20, No. 6, 271-292 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/1043454203254046
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