Table 1.
Respondent characteristics (N=224)
| Characteristic | N (%) | Mean (SD) |
|---|---|---|
| Socio-demographic | ||
| Age, years | 44.2 (7.2) | |
| Married | 171 (80) | |
| Caucasian race | 194 (93) | |
| College graduate | 153 (73) | |
| Household income >$50,000 | 157 (68) | |
| Employed* | 122 (62) | |
| Religious faith “very important” | 79 (38) | |
| Live in United States | 185 (82) | |
| Illness-related | ||
| Duration of metastatic cancer, years | 2.5 (2.4) | |
| De novo metastatic diagnosis | 87 (40) | |
| Breast cancer diagnosis | 206 (92) | |
| Treatment center | ||
| Academically-affiliated practice | 108 (52) | |
| Other** | 101 (48) | |
| Karnofsky Performance Status score | ||
| None (100) | 29 (13) | |
| Normal activity with effort (80–90) | 136 (61) | |
| Cares for most needs or self (60–70) | 52 (23) | |
| Severe–disabled (40–50) | 5 (2) | |
| Life extension as goal of cancer treatment | 142 (63) | |
| Prognostic clarity | ||
| Completely or mostly | 187 (83) | |
| Not very clear or not clear at all | 37 (17) | |
| Parenting-related | ||
| Number of children | 1.8 (1.1) | |
| Age of children <18 years,† years | 11.3 (4.3) | |
| Age of youngest child, years | 10.1 (4.9) | |
| Presence of another caregiver for children | 173 (77) | |
| Parental status influences cancer decision-making | ||
| Almost totally or mostly | 205 (92) | |
| Somewhat or not at all | 19 (8) | |
| Prognostic communication with children | ||
| Have discussed | 96 (45) | |
| Have not discussed | 80 (37) | |
| Children not old enough to discuss | 38 (18) | |
| Concern about financial impact on children | ||
| Very or extremely worried | 116 (52) | |
| A little or not at all worried | 107 (48) |
*
Working full or part-time or full-time stay at home parent
**
Community practices, hospice services, Veterans Administration Medical Centers
†
Age of children ≥18 years not included in calculation