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.
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.
Entities:
Keywords:
anxiety; depression; gender differences; quality of life; radiation therapy
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