Brief report: acceptance of behavioral interventions for children with cancer: perceptions of parents, nurses, and community controls.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the treatment acceptability of behavioral interventions targeting noncompliance in children with cancer, in medical versus general situations.

METHODS

Participants included 40 parents of children on active medical treatment for cancer, 42 pediatric oncology nurses, and 34 parents of medically healthy children. After reading a clinical vignette, participants rated the acceptability of five behavioral interventions via the Treatment Evaluation Inventory-Short Form.

RESULTS

Positive reinforcement, response cost, and reprimand generally were perceived as moderately acceptable. Overcorrection was perceived as unacceptable by all groups. Compared with nurses and parents of medically well children, parents of children with cancer provided significantly lower acceptability ratings for response cost and time-out, two of the punitive strategies studied.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that clinicians should assess the acceptability of specific treatments prior to intervening. Methods for enhancing acceptability should be explored in future research.