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Correlates of existential well-being and their association with health-related quality of life in breast cancer survivors compared with the general population

  • Epidemiology
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Abstract

The aim was to evaluate the correlates of existential well-being (EWB) and investigate the relationship between EWB and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) according to the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQOL) in breast cancer survivors (BCS) and in the general population. BCS (N = 1,933) recruited from five large hospitals completed a mailed survey, which included the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30), Quality of Life Questionnaire Breast Cancer Module (QLQ-BR23) and the MQOL. Reference data were derived from a representative sample of the Korean adult population composed of 500 women selected by a nationwide random route technique. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that members of the general population with a lower educational status were more likely to report poor EWB. However, among BCS, correlates that were associated with poor EWB included lower monthly income, lower educational status, unemployment and comorbidities. Almost all factors listed on the HRQOL questionnaire were correlated with EWB in BCS as well as in the general population (P < 0.001). Factors listed on the QLQ-C30 that were correlated to a clinically meaningful extent with EWB in the general population included physical functioning, nausea and vomiting, and appetite loss, whereas among BCS, insomnia and distress over hair loss were meaningfully correlated with EWB. Compared with general population, BCS showed different EWB correlates and distinct associations with HRQOL findings. Our data suggest that socio-economic status and comorbidities influence on their EWB.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Cancer Center Grants 04101502 and 0710421 and partially by National Cancer. We sincerely thank the Korean breast cancer survivors for their contributions to our knowledge about life after breast cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Cancer Control Research Institute, National Cancer Center, 111 Jungbalsan-ro, Ilsan-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi, 411-769, Korea

    Hae Won Shin & Young Ho Yun

  2. Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Dong Young Noh

  3. Department of Surgery, Korea University Anam-Hospital, Seoul, Korea

    Eun Sook Lee

  4. Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Seok Jin Nam

  5. Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Byeong Woo Park

  6. Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Korea

    Sei Hyun Ahn

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  1. Hae Won Shin
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Shin, H.W., Noh, D.Y., Lee, E.S. et al. Correlates of existential well-being and their association with health-related quality of life in breast cancer survivors compared with the general population. Breast Cancer Res Treat 118, 139–150 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-009-0326-0

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