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Health and Quality of Life Outcomes
Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research

Emotional distress and dysfunctional illness perception are associated with low mental and physical quality of life in Chinese breast cancer patients

Authors: Lili Tang, Kurt Fritzsche, Rainer Leonhart, Ying Pang, Jinjiang Li, Lili Song, Irmela Fischer, Maike Koch, Alexander Wuensch, Ricarda Mewes, Rainer Schaefert

Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

To evaluate the relationship between quality of life (QOL) and physical as well as psychological variables in Chinese breast cancer patients.

Methods

This multicenter cross-sectional study enrolled 254 Chinese breast cancer patients in different stages and treatment phases. They answered standard instruments assessing QOL (EORTC), somatic symptom severity (PHQ-15), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), health-related anxiety (WI-7), illness perception (BIPQ), and sense of coherence (SOC-9). Canonical correlation was applied to identify the strongest correlates between the physical, emotional and social QOL scales and the physical and psychological variables.

Results

In our sample, a low global QOL was significantly associated with the following physical and psychological variables: symptom-related disability (Karnofsky Index) (r = .211, p < .01), somatic symptom severity (r = −.391, p < .001), depression (r = −.488, p < .001), anxiety (r = −.439, p < .001), health-related anxiety (r = −.398, p < .001), dysfunctional illness perception (r = −.411, p < .001), and sense of coherence (r = .371, p < .001). In the canonical correlation analysis, high somatic symptom severity, depression, anxiety, dysfunctional illness perception, and low sense of coherence showed the strongest correlations with low physical, emotional and social functioning. The first three significant canonical correlations between these two sets of variables were .78, .56, and .45.

Conclusions

QOL in Chinese breast cancer patients is strongly associated with psychological factors. Our results suggest that Chinese physicians and nurses should incorporate these factors into their care for women with breast cancer to improve patients’ QOL.
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Metadata
Title
Emotional distress and dysfunctional illness perception are associated with low mental and physical quality of life in Chinese breast cancer patients
Authors
Lili Tang
Kurt Fritzsche
Rainer Leonhart
Ying Pang
Jinjiang Li
Lili Song
Irmela Fischer
Maike Koch
Alexander Wuensch
Ricarda Mewes
Rainer Schaefert
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1477-7525
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-017-0803-9

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