Gender differences in predicting quality of life in cancer patients with pain
Abstract
Purpose Numerous studies have identified several factors influencing quality of life (QOL) in cancer patients. However, studies on gender differences in cancer-related physical symptoms and QOL levels have yielded inconsistent results. The present study examined common symptoms (i.e., pain intensity, fatigue, and depression) in regard to their ability to predict QOL in male and female oncology patients with cancer pain.Method A total of 114 oncology outpatients, including 34 males and 80 females, with pain completed a demographic questionnaire, the Multidimensional Quality of Life Scale - Cancer, the Lee Fatigue Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies - Depression Scale, and a numeric rating scale for pain intensity.Results The female patients reported significantly lower psychological dimension of QOL than their male counterparts (p=0.009). Also for the females, a negative correlation was found between pain intensity and QOL (r=-0.504, p<0.0001), as well as positive correlations between pain intensity and fatigue (r=0.421, p<0.0001) and depression (r=0.368, p<0.0001). Stepwise linear regression analyses showed that among the females, QOL was significantly predicted by pain intensity as well as by depression (F((2,75))=52.62, p<0.0001, Adj. R(2)=0.57). However, among the males, depression was the only symptom found to predict QOL (F((2,30))=9.72, p<0.001, Adj. R(2)=0.39).Conclusion Therefore, it is concluded that gender should be considered as an additional feature for further characterizing QOL. Gender differences in factors predicting QOL warrant different clinical approaches to male and female patients, and identifying these differences may assist health care providers in tailoring treatment modalities to individual patients for optimal outcomes.
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Women bear an unequal burden of pain compared to men [7, 70].
“Regarding oncological pain, our results support previous evidence showing that women bear an unequal burden of pain compared to men [7, 70], despite no gender differences in terms of HNC-related variables and physical QoL emerged in the current sample.”
From Psychological variables associated with quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer: the role of body image distress (2022) · cites this paper as [70]
Pain may be a predisposing factor influencing mental QoL among females with cancer [70].
“Indeed, pain may be a predisposing factor influencing mental QoL among females with cancer [70].”
From Psychological variables associated with quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer: the role of body image distress (2022) · cites this paper as [70]
The higher presence of oncological pain in females might explain their lower mental QoL [59, 70].
“The higher presence of oncological pain in females might explain their lower mental QoL, in accordance with previous studies [59, 70].”
From Psychological variables associated with quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer: the role of body image distress (2022) · cites this paper as [70]
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Cerea, S., Sansoni, M., Scarzello, G., Groff, E., & Ghisi, M. (2022) · Supportive Care in Cancer · doi:10.1007/s00520-022-07334-6 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“Regarding oncological pain, our results support previous evidence showing that women bear an unequal burden of pain compared to men [7, 70], despite no gender differences Table 3 Psychological variables associated with mental health”
BackgroundResult
- Authors
- Pud, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Haifa (IL)
- Corresponding author
- Pud, Dorit
- Venue
- European Journal of Oncology Nursing
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-12
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 486-491
- ISSN
- 1462-3889 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2059346559
- Cited by
- 50
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Oncology Nursing (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Opioid Use
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative and Oncologic Care
- Keywords
- gender differences, quality of life, cancer pain, pain intensity, fatigue, depression, cancer patients, psychological well-being, predictors of quality of life
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Fatigue, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Pain, Pain Measurement, Quality of Life, Severity of Illness Index, Sex Factors
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