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Partnership status influences quality of life in low‐income, uninsured men with prostate cancer
Author(s) -
Gore John L.,
Krupski Tracey,
Kwan Lorna,
Maliski Sally,
Litwin Mark S.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/cncr.21139
Subject(s) - medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , prostate cancer , gerontology , distress , multivariate analysis , disease , general partnership , cancer , demography , oncology , clinical psychology , nursing , finance , sociology , economics
Abstract BACKGROUND Being partnered confers significant benefits in survival for patients with prostate cancer, yet little is known of the impact of relationship status on health‐related quality of life (HRQOL). The authors evaluated the influence of partnership on measures of HRQOL. METHODS The authors studied 291 patients who were enrolled in a program that provided free treatment to impoverished, uninsured men with prostate cancer. The associations between relationship status and measures of general and disease‐specific HRQOL were evaluated. Results from multivariate models determined the independent effect of partnership on HRQOL. RESULTS Partnered patients were more likely than unpartnered patients to be Hispanic (58% vs. 34%) and were more likely to have elected surgical therapy (49% vs. 34%). Multivariate analyses, controlling for age, ethnicity, disease stage, and treatment type, revealed that partnered patients had better mental health ( P = 0.009), less urinary bother ( P = 0.011), higher spirituality ( P = 0.037), and lower symptom distress ( P = 0.005) than unpartnered participants. CONCLUSIONS Relationship status had a positive effect on the quality of life of low‐income, uninsured men with prostate cancer. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.