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Sources of social support and adjustment among Chinese cancer survivors: gender and age differences

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Abstract

Introduction

Social support has shown to improve adjustment among cancer survivors. However, it is unclear how health benefits of social support depend on the source of support, age, and gender. Chinese culture emphasizes relationship harmony and interdependence, providing a unique opportunity to address these questions. This study investigated how support from different sources was associated with adjustment to cancer and how the association was moderated by gender and age.

Methods

Chinese cancer survivors (N = 238) from Beijing completed a questionnaire packet assessing support from different sources (e.g., family, friends, special others, society, and cancer organization) and adjustment (e.g., quality of life and positive and negative affect).

Results

Perceived support from family was greater than support from other sources among Chinese cancer survivors. After controlling for support from other sources, greater support from family and society was associated with higher quality of life, more positive affect, and less negative affect. Support from family showed a stronger negative correlation with negative affect among males, and support from special others showed a stronger negative correlation with negative affect among females. Support from society had a stronger positive association with quality of life, and support from friends had a stronger negative association with quality of life among younger survivors than among older survivors.

Conclusions

Findings highlight that health benefits of social support depend on the source of support, gender, and age among Chinese cancer survivors. The study has implications for delivering individualized healthcare services tailored to the preferences of cancer survivors based on their cultural backgrounds and demographic characteristics.

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Conflict of interests

We declare that there are no conflicts of interest relevant to this manuscript. There is no significant financial support for this manuscript that could influence the outcome. We have full control of all primary data and agree to allow the journal to review our data if requested. The submitted materials have not been published nor is it under review elsewhere.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Wuhan University, Luojiashan, Wuchang, Hubei, 430072, China

    Jin You

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Houston, 126 Heyne Building, Houston, TX, 77204, USA

    Qian Lu

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  1. Jin You
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  2. Qian Lu
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Correspondence to Jin You or Qian Lu.

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You, J., Lu, Q. Sources of social support and adjustment among Chinese cancer survivors: gender and age differences. Support Care Cancer 22, 697–704 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-2024-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-2024-z

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