TY - JOUR
T1 - Gender differences in predictors of quality of life at the initiation of radiation therapy
AU - West, Claudia
AU - Paul, Steven M.
AU - Dunn, Laura
AU - Dhruva, Anand
AU - Merriman, John
AU - Miaskowski, Christine
PY - 2015/9/1
Y1 - 2015/9/1
N2 - Purpose/Objectives: To evaluate gender differences in quality of life (QOL), demographic, clinical, and symptom characteristics. Design: Prospective, observational. Setting: Two radiation oncology departments in northern California. Sample: 185 patients before initiation of radiation therapy (RT). Methods: At their RT simulation visit, patients completed a demographic questionnaire, a measure of QOL, and symptom-specific scales. Backward elimination regression analyses were conducted to determine the significant predictors of QOL. Main Research Variables: QOL, gender, and 20 potential predictors. Findings: In women, depressive symptoms, functional status, age, and having children at home explained 64% of the variance in QOL. In men, depressive symptoms, state anxiety, number of comorbidities, being a member of a racial or ethnic minority, and age explained 70% of the variance in QOL. Conclusions: Predictors of QOL differed by gender. Depressive symptom score was the greatest contributor to QOL in both genders. Implications for Nursing: Nurses need to assess for QOL and depression at the initiation of RT. Knowledge of the different predictors of QOL may be useful in the design of gender-specific interventions to improve QOL.
AB - Purpose/Objectives: To evaluate gender differences in quality of life (QOL), demographic, clinical, and symptom characteristics. Design: Prospective, observational. Setting: Two radiation oncology departments in northern California. Sample: 185 patients before initiation of radiation therapy (RT). Methods: At their RT simulation visit, patients completed a demographic questionnaire, a measure of QOL, and symptom-specific scales. Backward elimination regression analyses were conducted to determine the significant predictors of QOL. Main Research Variables: QOL, gender, and 20 potential predictors. Findings: In women, depressive symptoms, functional status, age, and having children at home explained 64% of the variance in QOL. In men, depressive symptoms, state anxiety, number of comorbidities, being a member of a racial or ethnic minority, and age explained 70% of the variance in QOL. Conclusions: Predictors of QOL differed by gender. Depressive symptom score was the greatest contributor to QOL in both genders. Implications for Nursing: Nurses need to assess for QOL and depression at the initiation of RT. Knowledge of the different predictors of QOL may be useful in the design of gender-specific interventions to improve QOL.
KW - Anxiety
KW - Depression
KW - Gender differences
KW - Quality of life
KW - Radiation therapy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84941208569&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84941208569&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1188/15.ONF.507-516
DO - 10.1188/15.ONF.507-516
M3 - Article
C2 - 26302279
AN - SCOPUS:84941208569
SN - 0190-535X
VL - 42
SP - 507
EP - 516
JO - Oncology nursing forum
JF - Oncology nursing forum
IS - 5
ER -