Latent class analysis of behavioral characteristics of children with acute leukemia and associated influencing factors

Abstract:

Objective To explore the potential categories of behavioral characteristics of children with acute leukemia using latent class analysis and associated influencing factors，and to provide evidence for developing precise intervention strategies for behavioral problems in children with leukemia.Methods We selected 202 children with acute leukemia and their caregivers by convenience sampling in the Department of Hematology of Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University for a survey using the General Information Questionnaire， Rutter Child Behavior Questionnaire，General Family Functioning Scale， and Social Support Rating Scale. The behavioral characteristics of children with acute leukemia were categorized using a latent class analysis， and the effects of various factors on different categories were analyzed using a multinomial logistic regression analysis.Results TThe behavioral characteristics of children with acute leukemia were classified into three types： impulsive-unfriendly type（50%），emotional-somatic disorder type （33.66%），and well-behaved type（16.34%）. The multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that unhealthy family functioning and male were more frequently associated with the impulsive-unfriendly type compared with the well-behaved type； unhealthy family functioning，male，and being in the treatment period were more frequently associated with the emotional-somatic disorder type compared with the well-behaved type；and children in the treatment period were prone to developing the impulsive-unfriendly type compared with the emotional-somatic disorder type.Conclusion Children with acute leukemia have distinct types of behavioral features， which are closely related to family functioning， sex， and disease stage. Therefore， for different behavioral types， targeted individualized interventions should be developed to prevent or reduce the occurrence of behavioral problems in children with acute leukemia， improving their social adaptability and quality of life.