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Association Between Perceived Interpersonal Support and Quality of Life Among Adult Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy
Ian B Lau1, Hamid R Torabzadeh1, Wesley H Peng1
1Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University; Brown University Health Cancer Institute, The Miriam Hospital, Brown University Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
Purpose:
Increased interpersonal support may improve the quality of life of patients with a cancer diagnosis. We seek to determine the relationship between perceived interpersonal support (PIS) and quality of life (QOL) among adult patients receiving chemotherapy infusions at an academic cancer institute.
Methods:
We surveyed patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy infusions at The Miriam Hospital (TMH) of Brown University Health from February 2024 to April 2024. We administered two established surveys in-person to patients: (1) a 12-item Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL), and (2) a 16-item Quality of Life Scale (QOLS). Linear regressions were run to understand any association between performance on the ISEL and the QOLS, and between demographic characteristics and ISEL or QOLS performance.
Results:
Of 432 eligible chemotherapy patients during the study period, 93 (22%) completed the prospective surveys. The mean (SD) ISEL total score was 31.2 (6.0) out of a maximum of 36, and the mean QOLS total score was 93.5 (11.8) out of a maximum of 112. Higher PIS was significantly associated with greater QOL satisfaction (β = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.28 to 1.43; P = 0.004), indicating a 0.86-unit QOLS increase per unit rise in ISEL score. Patients who identified as "Black or African American" (β = -5.36; 95% CI, -9.39 to -1.32; P = 0.010) or "Other" (β = -4.91; 95% CI, -8.95 to -0.88; P = 0.018) had a significantly lower ISEL total score compared to those who identified as "White or Caucasian."
Conclusion:
PIS is positively associated with QOL among patients undergoing chemotherapy. Cancer institutes should proactively make workforce, programmatic, and resource investments to better address gaps in support to improve QOL.
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