Abstract
Background
General self-efficacy has been shown to be a protective factor of cancer survivors’ quality of life (QoL). Coping self-efficacy includes multiple aspects, such as maintaining positive attitudes, regulating emotion, seeking social support, and seeking medical information. How these various aspects are related to multiple domains of QoL is unclear.
Purpose
This study examined the associations between different aspects of coping self-efficacy and QoL among Chinese cancer survivors.
Methods
A sample of 238 Chinese cancer survivors (mean age = 55.7, 74.4 % female) in Beijing, China participated in the survey. Coping self-efficacy and QoL were measured by the Cancer Behavior Inventory and Quality of Life—Cancer Survivor Instrument.
Results
After controlling for demographic and disease-related variables, hierarchical regression analyses showed that coping self-efficacy in accepting cancer/maintaining a positive attitude was positively associated with physical, psychological, and spiritual QoL. Self-efficacy in affective regulation was positively associated with psychological and social QoL, but negatively associated with spiritual well-being. Self-efficacy in seeking support was positively associated with spiritual well-being, but negatively associated with physical QoL. Self-efficacy in seeking and understanding medical information was negatively associated with psychological and social QoL.
Conclusions
Our findings imply the specificity of coping self-efficacy in predicting QOL. Our findings could be helpful for designing future interventions. Increasing cancer survivors’ self-efficacies in accepting cancer/maintaining a positive attitude, affective regulation, and seeking support may improve cancer survivors’ QoL depending on the specific domains.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chen W, Zheng R, Zhang S, et al. Report of incidence and mortality in China cancer registries, 2008. Chin J Cancer Res. 2012;24:171–80.
Chen W, Zheng R, Zhang S, et al. Report of incidence and mortality in China cancer registries, 2009. Chin J Cancer Res. 2013;25:10–21.
Guo R, Huang ZL, Yu P, Li K. Trends in cancer mortality in China: an update. Ann Oncol. 2012;23:2755–62.
Jacobsen PB, Jim HSL. Consideration of quality of life in cancer survivorship research. Cancer Epidemi Biomar. 2011;20:2035–41.
Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer; 1984.
Blank JJ, Clark L, Longman AJ, Atwood JR. Perceived home care needs of cancer patients and their caregivers. Cancer Nurs. 1989;12:78–84.
Stanton AL, Revenson TA, Tennen H. Health psychology: psychological adjustment to chronic disease. Annu Rev Psychol. 2007;58:565–92.
Nicholas DR, Veach TA. The psychosocial assessment of the adult cancer patient. Prof Psychol Res Pr. 2000;31:206–15.
Haas BK. Focus on health promotion: self-efficacy in oncology nursing research and practice. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2000;27:89–97.
Bandura A. Social cognitive theory in cultural context. Appl Psychol Int Rev. 2002;51:269–90.
Hochhausen N, Altmaier EM, McQuellon R, et al. Social support, optimism, and self-efficacy predict physical and emotional well-being after bone marrow transplantation. J Psychosoc Oncol. 2007;25:87–101.
Howsepian BA, Merluzzi TV. Religious beliefs, social support, self-efficacy and adjustment to cancer. Psycho-Oncol. 2009;18:1069–79.
Mosher CE, Duhamel KN, Egert J, Smith MY. Self-efficacy for coping with cancer in a multiethnic sample of breast cancer patients: associations with barriers to pain management and distress. Clin J Pain. 2010;26:227–34.
Porter LS, Keefe FJ, Garst J, McBride CM, Baucom D. Self-efficacy for managing pain, symptoms, and function in patients with lung cancer and their informal caregivers: associations with symptoms and distress. Pain. 2008;137:306–15.
Manne SL, Ostroff JS, Norton TR, Fox K, Grana G. Cancer-specific self-efficacy and psychosocial and functional adaptation to early stage breast cancer. Ann Behav Med. 2006;31:145–54.
Campbell LC, Keefe FJ, McKee DC, et al. Prostate cancer in African Americans: relationship of patient and partner self-efficacy to quality of life. J Pain Symptom Manag. 2004;28:433–44.
Lam WWT, Fielding R. Is self-efficacy a predictor of short-term post-surgical adjustment among Chinese women with breast cancer? Psycho-Oncol. 2007;16:651–9.
Wu HK, Chau JP, Twinn S. Self-efficacy and quality of life among stoma patients in Hong Kong. Cancer Nurs. 2007;30:186–93.
Merluzzi TV, Nairn RC, Hedge K, Sanchez MAM, Dunn L. Self-efficacy for coping with cancer: revision of the cancer behavior inventory (version 2.0). Psycho-oncol. 2001;10:206–17.
Ferrell BR, Dow KH, Grant M. Measurement of the quality of life in cancer survivors. Qual Life Res. 1995;4:523–31.
Buchner A, Erdfelder E, Faul F, Lang A. G*Power (Version 3.1.2) [Computer program]. Germany. 2009.
Hou WK, Lam WWT, Fielding R. Adaptation process and psychosocial resources of Chinese colorectal cancer patients undergoing adjuvant treatment: a qualitative analysis. Psycho-Oncol. 2009;18:936–44.
Simpson P. Hong Kong families and breast cancer: beliefs and adaptation strategies. Psycho-Oncol. 2005;14:671–83.
Yu CLM, Fielding R, Chan CLW. The mediating role of optimism on post-radiation quality of life in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Qual Life Res. 2003;12:41–51.
Mazanec SR, Daly B, Douglas SL, Lipson AR. The relationship between optimism and quality of life in newly diagnosed cancer patients. Cancer Nurs. 2010;33:235–43.
Carver CS, Smith RG, Antoni MH, Patronis VM, Weiss S, Derphagopian RP. Optimistic personality and psychosocial well-being during treatment predict psychosocial well-being among long-term survivors of breast cancer survivors. Health Psychol. 2005;24:508–16.
Bandura A. Self-efficacy towards a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psycho Rev. 1977;84:191–215.
Bandura A. Self-efficacy: the exercise of control. New York: Freeman; 1997.
Fredrickson BL. The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: the Broaden-and- Build Theory of positive emotions. Am Psycholog. 2001;56:218–26.
Liu J, Mok E, Wong T. Perceptions of supportive communication in Chinese patients with cancer: experiences and expectations. J Adv Nurs. 2005;52:262–70.
Park CL. Making sense of the meaning literature: an integrative review of meaning making and its effects on adjustment to stressful life events. Psychol Bull. 2010;136:257–301.
Lim J, Yi J. The effects of religiosity, spirituality, and social support on quality of life: a comparison between Korean American and Korean breast and gynecologic cancer survivors. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2009;36:699–708.
Vachon MLS. Meaning, spirituality, and wellness in cancer survivors. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2008;24:218–25.
Weiss T. Correlates of posttraumatic growth in married breast cancer survivors. J Soc Clin Psychol. 2004;23:733–46.
Redd WH, Duhamel KN, Vickberg SMJ, et al. Long-term adjustment in cancer survivors: Integration of classical-conditioning and cognitive-processing models. In: Baum A, Andersen BL, editors. Psychosocial interventions for cancer. Washington DC: American Psychological Association; 2001. p. 77–97.
Scheier MF, Carver CS. Adapting to cancer: the importance of hope and purpose. In: Baum A, Andersen BL, editors. Psychosocial interventions for cancer. Washington DC: American Psychological Association; 2001. p. 15–36.
Lu Q, Tsao JCI, Myers CD, Kim SC, Zeltzer LK. Coping predictors of children's laboratory-induced pain tolerance, intensity, and unpleasantness. J Pain. 2007;8:708–17.
Case DO, Andrews JE, Johnson JD, Allard SL. Avoiding versus seeking: the relationship of information seeking to avoidance, blunting, coping, dissonance, and related concepts. J Med Lib Assoc. 2005;93:353–62.
Ong LML, Visser MRM, Lammes FB, de Haes JCJM. Doctor-patient communication and cancer patient’s quality of life and satisfaction. Patient Edu Couns. 2000;41:145–56.
Yu CLM, Fileding R, Chan CLW, Sham JST. Chinese nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy. Cancer. 2001;92:2126–35.
Bennett K, Smith DH, Irwin H. Preferences for participation in medical decisions in China. Health Commun. 1999;11:261–84.
Lev EL, Daley KM, Conner NE, Reith M, Fernandez C, Owen SV. An intervention to increase quality of life and self-care self-efficacy and decrease symptoms in breast cancer patients. Res Theory Nurs Pract. 2001;15:277–94.
Declaration Statement
Nelson Yeung, Qian Lu, and Wenjuan Lin declare that they have no conflict of interest. This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yeung, N.C.Y., Lu, Q. & Lin, W. Specificity May Count: Not Every Aspect of Coping Self-Efficacy is Beneficial to Quality of Life Among Chinese Cancer Survivors in China. Int.J. Behav. Med. 21, 629–637 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-014-9394-6
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-014-9394-6