Burdens of Breast Cancer upon women’s psychological health at Oncology Hospitals in Baghdad City

Abstract

The study aims to determine the burdens of breast cancer upon women’s psychological health andtheir socio- demographic characteristics. A descriptive study was conducted at Al-Amal National Hospital for Cancer Management, Oncology Teaching Hospital and Al-Emamain Al- Kadhimain Medical City Hospital for the period from May 18, 2016 to June 1, 2016. A purposive non-probability sample consisted of 100 women with breast cancer. The questionnaire was composed of three parts. First, Socio-demographic data and Socio-Economic Status, Second, General Information, including reproductive information, previous medical history, type of treatment. Third, psychological health burden of breast cancer (Psychological Domain). Reliability of the questionnaire is determined through a pilot study and the validity through a panel of 16 experts. Descriptive and inferential statistical procedures were employed for the data analysis. The highest percentage 35% and 32% of studied sample are at age group 31–40 and 41–50, respectively, having good educational levels (29%), housewives (54%), married (47%) and widowed(30%), live in nuclear type of family (72%), urban residents (83%), and moderate socio-economic status 63%. The results show that sub and main domains with regard to psychological health are assigned to moderately assess the burden status. It could be indicating that all studied patients had extremely assigned from moderate to high burden status of assessments. Their relative sufficiency estimations are bordered to cutoff point moderate/high scale. Weak relationships are accounted with no significant at P > 0.05 between women’s psychological health status and socio- demographical characteristics variables. The study concludes that women’s burden of breast cancer concerning psychological health with an overall assessments assigned moderate assessment of burden status.