Abstract
Background: The cancer survival rate in Korea has substantially increased, necessitating the management of not only patients with cancer but also longer term survivors. Although the divorce rate has drastically increased in Korea, there is not sufficient research regarding the relationship between changes in marital status and quality of life (QOL) in cancer patients and survivors. Thus, we aimed to examine the relationship between marital status and QOL in such cases. Materials and Methods: This study was performed using the Community Health Survey of 2008 administered by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (N=169,328). We used t-tests and Chi-square tests to compare demographic variables between men and women, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare QOL scores among comparison groups. We also performed a multilevel analysis on the relationship between QOL and marital status while accounting for provincial differences. Results: Decline of EuroQOL five dimensions (EQ-5D) in single patients with cancer was greater than in any other marital status group, but there was no statistically significant decline in survivors of cancer with regard to marital status. In the general population, the decline of EQ-5D was higher among single people than married people. Using the EuroQOL visual analog scale (EQ-VAS), single people had higher values than those of other marital status among both patients with cancer and survivors of cancer. In the general population, EQ-VAS values were higher for single people compared to married people. Conclusions: There may be a significant relationship between marital status and QOL in cancer patients and survivors. Policy interventions to manage patients with cancer who experience a decline in QOL as well as marital problems should be conducted.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 5287-5291 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 13 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 Jan 1 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Epidemiology
- Oncology
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Cancer Research
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Associations between quality of life and marital status in cancer patients and survivors. / Han, Kyu Tae; Kim, Sun Jung; Song, Haiyan; Chun, Sung Youn; Kim, Chan Ok; Kim, Jung Soo; Park, Euncheol.
In: Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, Vol. 15, No. 13, 01.01.2014, p. 5287-5291.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Associations between quality of life and marital status in cancer patients and survivors
AU - Han, Kyu Tae
AU - Kim, Sun Jung
AU - Song, Haiyan
AU - Chun, Sung Youn
AU - Kim, Chan Ok
AU - Kim, Jung Soo
AU - Park, Euncheol
PY - 2014/1/1
Y1 - 2014/1/1
N2 - Background: The cancer survival rate in Korea has substantially increased, necessitating the management of not only patients with cancer but also longer term survivors. Although the divorce rate has drastically increased in Korea, there is not sufficient research regarding the relationship between changes in marital status and quality of life (QOL) in cancer patients and survivors. Thus, we aimed to examine the relationship between marital status and QOL in such cases. Materials and Methods: This study was performed using the Community Health Survey of 2008 administered by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (N=169,328). We used t-tests and Chi-square tests to compare demographic variables between men and women, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare QOL scores among comparison groups. We also performed a multilevel analysis on the relationship between QOL and marital status while accounting for provincial differences. Results: Decline of EuroQOL five dimensions (EQ-5D) in single patients with cancer was greater than in any other marital status group, but there was no statistically significant decline in survivors of cancer with regard to marital status. In the general population, the decline of EQ-5D was higher among single people than married people. Using the EuroQOL visual analog scale (EQ-VAS), single people had higher values than those of other marital status among both patients with cancer and survivors of cancer. In the general population, EQ-VAS values were higher for single people compared to married people. Conclusions: There may be a significant relationship between marital status and QOL in cancer patients and survivors. Policy interventions to manage patients with cancer who experience a decline in QOL as well as marital problems should be conducted.
AB - Background: The cancer survival rate in Korea has substantially increased, necessitating the management of not only patients with cancer but also longer term survivors. Although the divorce rate has drastically increased in Korea, there is not sufficient research regarding the relationship between changes in marital status and quality of life (QOL) in cancer patients and survivors. Thus, we aimed to examine the relationship between marital status and QOL in such cases. Materials and Methods: This study was performed using the Community Health Survey of 2008 administered by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (N=169,328). We used t-tests and Chi-square tests to compare demographic variables between men and women, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare QOL scores among comparison groups. We also performed a multilevel analysis on the relationship between QOL and marital status while accounting for provincial differences. Results: Decline of EuroQOL five dimensions (EQ-5D) in single patients with cancer was greater than in any other marital status group, but there was no statistically significant decline in survivors of cancer with regard to marital status. In the general population, the decline of EQ-5D was higher among single people than married people. Using the EuroQOL visual analog scale (EQ-VAS), single people had higher values than those of other marital status among both patients with cancer and survivors of cancer. In the general population, EQ-VAS values were higher for single people compared to married people. Conclusions: There may be a significant relationship between marital status and QOL in cancer patients and survivors. Policy interventions to manage patients with cancer who experience a decline in QOL as well as marital problems should be conducted.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84905366381&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84905366381&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.7314/APJCP.2014.15.13.5287
DO - 10.7314/APJCP.2014.15.13.5287
M3 - Article
C2 - 25040990
AN - SCOPUS:84905366381
VL - 15
SP - 5287
EP - 5291
JO - Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
JF - Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
SN - 1513-7368
IS - 13
ER -