Abstract
Quality of life (QoL) has been considered worthy of assessment in the treatment, prevention and rehabili- tation of cancer patients. As it has a psychological dimension, is important to investigate the relationship between quality of life and psychological concepts like self-efficacy and psychological well-being. Ob- jective of the present study is to examine the QoL, self-efficacy and psychological well-being in adults with cancer. Methods: 50 patients completed self-report questionnaires: WHOQOL-bref, General Self- Efficacy Scale and GHQ-12 in two periods (T1 = timeline; T2 = follow up 1 year later). A paired t-test did not identify significant differences in the QoL self-efficacy and psychological well-being between T1 and T2. However, men had a better overall QoL and in the physical and social dimensions, and psycho- logical well-being in T1 compared with the women. In T2 there were significant differences between men and women only in the social and psychological dimensions of the QoL. The self-efficacy in T2 was the only predictive variable of the QoL in T2, explaining 71.9% of its variance. It is concluded that, in the pe- riod of one year, the QoL, psychological well-being and self-efficacy were stable, but gender differences were identified. The variables measured in T1 were incapable of predicting the QoL in T2. The gender differences found in QoL and psychological well-being can be used to guide specific future interventions with these patients.
Highlights
With advances in health areas the life expectancy of patients with cancer has been prolonged, leading to concern regarding the assistance for and quality of life (QoL) of these patients (Seidl & Zannon, 2004)
The paired t-test was performed in order to compare the averages of the total QoL and its dimensions, self-efficacy and psychological well-being longitudinally (T1 and total quality of life in T2 (T2))
The present study aimed to examine longitudinally the QoL, self-efficacy and psychological well-being of patients with cancer
Summary
With advances in health areas the life expectancy of patients with cancer has been prolonged, leading to concern regarding the assistance for and quality of life (QoL) of these patients (Seidl & Zannon, 2004). The QoL is related to the health concept proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO)—physical, mental and social well-being. It means the individual’s perception of his/her own health generally speaking, according to his/her cultural demands, value systems, goals, expectations and concerns. This explains why individuals with similar objective indicators of QoL can have quite different indices in the subjective QoL (Seidl & Zannon, 2004; Mayo, Moriello, Asano, Van Der Spuy, & Finck, 2010). A large number of the articles dealt with the construction and validation of instruments of assessment of the
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
