QUALITY-OF-LIFE AMONG JORDANIAN WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER: WHICH FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT?

A. Al-Sharman¹, A.S. Aburub², A. Al-Sarhan³, H. Khalil⁴, A. Bani-Ahmad³, R. Shorman⁵

¹University of Sharjah, Collage of Health Sciences, Physiotherapy Department, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, ²Isra University, Physical Therapy Department, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Amman, Jordan, ³Jordan University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Irbid, Jordan, ⁴Qatar University, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Doha, Qatar, ⁵Jordan University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Irbid, Jordan

Background: Women with Breast cancer (BC) experience several physical, psychological, and social consequences. These consequences might negatively impact health and quality of life (QoL). Understanding factors that might affect QoL in women with BC is needed. Such understanding would encourage health care professionals to consider these factors during both the assessment protocols and in developing intervention programs.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the demographic and clinical factors that might predict the QoL among Jordanian women who were diagnosed with BC.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Jordanian women with BC in three hospitals. A total of 200 Jordanian women with BC were enrolled. Demographics and clinical characteristics were collected. The assessment was performed using the Arabic versions of validated questionnaires: Quality of Life Index (QLI-c), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were collected from the participants.

Results: One hundred eighty-eight Jordanian women with BC completed the study questionnaires'. The mean age of women was 52.14±9.83. The Pearson correlation showed a significant positive correlation of monthly income (r=0.17, p=0.016) with QoL. The stage of disease (r = -0.221, p = 0.002) and duration of first diagnosis (r = -0.280, p = 0.004) significantly negatively correlated with QoL. The results also revealed that poor sleep quality, sexual dysfunction, fatigue, depression, and anxiety had a significant negative correlation with overall QoL (p-value <0.01). Multiple regression analysis revealed that sexual dysfunction, poor sleep quality, depression, and anxiety were significant predictors of QoL (p≤0.05) among women with BC.

Conclusions: This study has examined the relationship of demographic, clinical, and body functional factors with QoL among Jordanian women with BC. The results indicated that sexual dysfunction, poor sleep quality, depression, and anxiety are important factors that predict the QoL among women with BC.

Implications: Awareness of factors that correlate and predict QoL will guide the health care professionals to take appropriate interventions to improve the health level and QoL of women with BC.

Funding acknowledgements: Jordan University of Science and Technology, AA.20200491

Keywords:
Breast cancer
Quality of Life
Predictors

Topics:
Oncology, HIV & palliative care
Disability & rehabilitation

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST)

Committee: Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Ethics number: 2020/371