Gender differences in the predictors of quality of life in patients with cancer: A cross sectional study.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to explore potential differences in the sociodemographic (with a special focus on gender differences) and psychological predictors of quality of life in individuals diagnosed with cancer. METHODS: A cross-sectional, observational study was carried out involving individuals struggling with different forms of cancer (N = 430). Linear regression was used to investigate the concurrent predictive role of the independent variables, stratified by gender, for each of the five cancer-specific quality of life domains and overall quality of life. RESULTS: Sociodemographic characteristics had only a negligible to small role in predicting quality of life in both men and women. In contrast, the psychological variables explained a significantly larger portion of the variance in both genders. There were no statistically significant gender differences regarding the raw quality of life domain scores; however, their predictors were markedly different in the two groups. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate that it is imperative to take gender differences into consideration when planning psychosocial interventions also focusing on strengths, resources, and coping strategies. Considering the consistently emerging importance of family support in patients' quality of life, offering psychological interventions to caregivers/family members seems warranted to empower them to provide support to patients throughout the illness trajectory.