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The role of spirituality in symptom experiences among adults with cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

Adults with cancer experience symptoms such as pain, fatigue, depression, and sleep disturbance, which can impede quality of life. Research suggests that addressing spirituality may be one route to support holistic symptom management. The purpose of this study is to explore how spirituality relates to common cancer-related symptoms (including severity, distress, and interference) among a sample of adults with cancer.

Methods

This is a secondary analysis of data from N = 200 solid tumor cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Symptom experiences were assessed with a modified version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale and the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory—Interference Subscale. Spirituality was assessed using a subset of items from the Fox Simple Quality of Life Scale. A series of ordinal and linear regressions were used to examine the relationship between spirituality and symptom severity, symptom-related distress, and symptom interference across four cancer-related symptoms (pain, fatigue, depression, and sleep disturbance).

Results

Higher spirituality trended toward an association with lower pain severity, although results were not significant (p < .058). Higher spirituality was significantly associated with lower severity of fatigue (p < .003), depression (p < .006), and sleep disturbance (p < .004). Spirituality was not significantly associated with any of the four symptom-related distress outcomes. Higher spirituality was significantly associated with lower overall symptom interference (p < .004).

Discussion

This study highlights the role of spirituality in the experience of cancer-related symptoms. Additional research is needed among more diverse samples of people with cancer. This foundational work could lead to the development of symptom management interventions that incorporate aspects of spirituality.

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Funding

Partial financial support was received from NINR 1P20NR018081-01 grant, Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) New Investigator grant and Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center (HCCC) Diana Benz Seed grant.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA

    Megan Miller & Kristine Kwekkeboom

  2. University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Catherine Cherwin

Authors
  1. Megan Miller
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  2. Kristine Kwekkeboom
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  3. Catherine Cherwin
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and data collection in the parent study were performed by Dr. Catherine Cherwin. Data analyses in this secondary analysis study were performed by Dr. Megan Miller, in consultation with Dr. Kristine Kwekkeboom, and Dr. Catherine Cherwin. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Dr. Megan Miller, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Megan Miller.

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All study procedures were approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) before beginning the research.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Miller, M., Kwekkeboom, K. & Cherwin, C. The role of spirituality in symptom experiences among adults with cancer. Support Care Cancer 30, 49–57 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-021-06399-z

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