Predicting Quality of Life in People with Cancer

Oh, Pok Ja

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to provide a basis for nursing intervention strategies to promote quality of life in cancer patients. Therefore the study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of perceived health status, self-esteem, health locus of control, self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility/severity, health promoting behaviors, and hope for quality of life. The sample was composed of 164 stomach cancer patients who visited outpatient clinics at a university hospital in Seoul. The following instruments were used in the study after some adaptation : Lawstone and others' Health Self-rating Scale, Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale, Wallston and others' Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, Sherer and Maddux's Self-efficacy Scale, Moon's Health Beliefs Scale, Welker and others' Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile, Nowotney's Hope scale and Noh's Quality of Life Scale. Data were analyzed using a SAS program for Pearson correlation coefficients descriptive correlational statistics and stepwise multiple regression. The results are as follows : 1. The scores on the quality of life scale ranged from 115 to 243 with a mean of 177.84(SD : 25.35). The mean scores(range 1-5) on the different dimensions were : emotional state 3.37 ; economic life 3.47 ; physical state and function 3.52 ; self-esteem 3.66 ; relationship with neighbors 3.73 ; family relationships 3.80. 2. There was a significant correlation between all the predictive variables and the quality of life(r=.20 -.65, p<.01). 3. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that : 1) Self-esteem was the main predictor of quality of life and accounted from 46.9% of the variance in quality of life. 2) Perceived health status, hope and perceived susceptibility/severity accounted for 11.8%, 8.3%, 1.5% of the variance in quality of life respectively. 3) Self-esteem, perceived health status, hope and perceived susceptibility/severity combined accounted for 68.5% of the variance in quality of life. In conclusion, self-esteem, perceived health status, hope and perceived susceptibility / severity were identified as important variables in the quality of life of cancer patients.