Social functioning, depression, and quality of life among breast cancer patients: A path analysis. (February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sun, Fan-Ko; Lu, Chu-Yun; Yao, YuChun; Chiang, Chun-Ying
• Is Part Of: European journal of oncology nursing. Volume 62(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-02
• Subjects: Social functioning -- Depression -- Quality of life -- Breast cance; Cancer -- Nursing -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Research -- Periodicals; Oncology -- Periodicals; Oncology Nursing -- Periodicals; Neoplasms -- nursing -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Soins infirmiers -- Périodiques; Cancer -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Cancérologie -- Périodiques; Verpleegkunde; Kanker; Cancer -- Nursing; Cancer -- Research; Oncology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9940231
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejon.2022.102237
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1462-3889

Abstract

Abstract: Purpose: To identify associations among social functioning, depression, and quality of life in breast cancer patients. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 180 breast cancer patients were recruited from the surgical units in southern Taiwan hospital in 2021. Path analysis was employed to analyze the relationships between background information and social functioning, depression, and quality of life. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for examining the path analysis in this study. Results: The path model showed that respondents with a religious belief (ß = 0.18, p < .000) and less severe disease (ß = −0.29, p < .01) showed better social functioning. Income did not affect social functioning directly but was directly related to the social interaction dimension (ß = 0.30, p < .000). Moreover, younger age (ß = -0.29, p < .000, lower income (ß = −0.10, p < .05) and more severe disease (ß = 0.35, p < .000) increased the level of depression. Less severe disease would also result in a better quality of life (ß = −0.45, p < .000). Breast cancer patients with better social function levels have low levels of depression (ß = −0.82, p < .000) and better quality of life (ß = 0.76, p < .000). Conclusion: Age, religion, income, and severity are crucial predictors of social functioning, depression, and quality of life. Furthermore, severity variables which combined clinical variables to make this variable a stronger predictor for SF, depression, and QOL. Highlights: The first study combined clinical variables into severity variables to increase the strength of this variable as a predictor. This study found that BC patients with religious beliefs and less disease severity had better SF. Nurses could encourage patients to have religious beliefs and help them reduce the severity of BC to increase their SF.