Table 3.
Attitudinal statements towards parenthood after a breast cancer diagnosis for the Portuguese sample and the USA sample.
| % of those responding to question Portugal |
% of those responding to question USA |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| After my illness… | Disagree 1 | Neutral | Agree 2 | Disagree 1 | Neutral | Agree 2 |
| I feel sufficiently healthy to perform the mother role well | 8% (4) | 2% (1) | 90% (48) | 5% (2) | 12% (5) | 84% (36) |
| I changed/will change positively my performance as a mother | 14% (7) | 20% (10) | 66% (33) | 2% (1) | 35% (15) | 63% (27) |
| A child means for me a better quality of life*1 | 6% (3) | 14% (7) | 80% (39) | 19% (8) | 40% (17) | 40% (17) |
| I wish very much to be a mother/have more children even if I do not know what the future will bring to me | 40% (19) | 15% (7) | 45% (21) | 35% (15) | 26% (11) | 37% (2) |
| Being a mother represents to me having again a normal life | 29% (14) | 24% (12) | 47% (23) | 19% (8) | 35% (15) | 40% (20) |
| Having a child is a blessing | 4% (2) | 11% (6) | 85% (45) | 2% (1) | 7% (3) | 91% (39) |
| The desire to be a mother increased | 41% (21) | 16% (8) | 43% (22) | 26% (11) | 28% (12) | 42% (18) |
| Having a child is too stressful for me | 72% (37) | 18% (9) | 10% (5) | 74% (32) | 14% (6) | 9% (4) |
| I changed my maternity plans | 37% (18) | 10% (5) | 53% (26) | 54% (23) | 19% (8) | 28% (12) |
| The desire to be a mother diminished | 67% (31) | 13% (6) | 20% (9) | 67% (29) | 16% (7) | 12% (5) |
| I think it would be selfish to have a child | 62% (28) | 16% (7) | 22% (10) | 74% (32) | 19% (8) | 7% (3) |
| I fear that the birth of a child would be a risk for my illness to return | 36% (17) | 15% (7) | 49% (23) | 49% (21) | 21% (9) | 30% (13) |
| I fear that if I get pregnant my child would be born with health/genetic problems | 39% (17) | 20% (9) | 41% (18) | 34% (15) | 34% (25) | 30% (13) |
| My financial resources to educate a child well became limited | 53% (25) | 17% (8) | 30% (14) | 42% (18) | 37% (16) | 21% (9) |
| If I am not able to have the children I desire, I will consider adoption | 34% (16) | 15% (7) | 51% (24) | 35% (15) | 26% (11) | 40% (17) |
| My husband/partner/boyfriend places more value on the family*2 | 14% (6) | 31% (13) | 55% (23) | 44% (19) | 40% (17) | 14% (6) |
| My husband/partner/boyfriend shows more desire to be a father | 32% (14) | 40% (17) | 28% (12) | 33% (14) | 49% (21) | 16% (7) |
| My husband/partner/boyfriend shows less desire to be a father | 51% (22) | 35% (15) | 14% (6) | 44% (19) | 47% (20) | 7% (3) |
*1
p<0.001;
*2
p<0.001;
1
Disagree/moderately disagree;
2
Agree/moderately agree