Health literacy and fear of cancer progression in elderly women newly diagnosed with breast cancer—A longitudinal analysis. Issue 5 (May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Halbach, Sarah Maria; Enders, Anna; Kowalski, Christoph; Pförtner, Timo-Kolja; Pfaff, Holger; Wesselmann, Simone; Ernstmann, Nicole
• Is Part Of: Patient education and counseling. Volume 99:Issue 5(2016)
• Page Start: 855
• Page End: 862
• Publication Date: 2016-05
• Subjects: Health literacy -- Fear of cancer progression -- Breast cancer -- Elderly -- Anxiety -- Psycho-oncology -- Geriatric oncology; Patient education -- Periodicals; Health counseling -- Periodicals; Health education -- Periodicals; Counseling -- Periodicals; Patient Education -- Periodicals; Éducation des patients -- Périodiques; Counseling -- Périodiques; Éducation sanitaire -- Périodiques; 615.5071
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2015.12.012
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0738-3991

Abstract

Highlights: About half of the breast cancer patients show limited health literacy. Fear of cancer progression decreases over the course of breast cancer treatment. Health literacy is negatively associated with fear of cancer progression. Abstract: Objective: This study aims to investigate the distribution of health literacy levels and the association of health literacy with fear of cancer progression (FoP) over the course of cancer treatment in a sample of elderly women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Methods: The analyses are part of a prospective, multicenter cohort-study (PIAT) that took place in Germany between 2013 and 2014. Elderly women (aged 65 years and older) newly diagnosed with breast cancer completed validated measures of health literacy and FoP directly after the breast cancer surgery and 40 weeks later. Multivariate random-effects regression analysis for longitudinal data was applied to estimate the association of health literacy with FoP considering socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial characteristics of the patients. Results: About half of the elderly breast cancer patients in our sample were classified as having limited health literacy (inadequate and problematic levels). Inadequate and problematic health literacy were significantly associated with higher levels of FoP in the elderly breast cancer patients. Conclusion: Limited health literacy is an independent risk factor for increased FoP. Practice implications: Enhancing health literacy could contribute to reducing patients' cancer-related fears.