Sarah Schroyen1, Manon Marquet2, Guy Jerusalem3, Benoît Dardenne4, Marjan Van den Akker5, Frank Buntinx5, Stéphane Adam2, Pierre Missotten2. 1. Psychology of Aging Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium. Electronic address: sarah.schroyen@ulg.ac.be. 2. Psychology of Aging Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium. 3. Laboratory of medical oncology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium; Department of Medical Oncology, CHU Sart-Tilman Liège, Liège, Belgium. 4. Department of Social Psychology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium. 5. Department of General Practice, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; CAPHRI Research School, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Older people may suffer from stigmas linked to cancer and aging. Although some studies suggested that a negative view of cancer may increase the level of depression, such an association has never been studied in the elderly population. Similarly, even though it is established that a negative self-perception of aging has deleterious consequences on mental and physical health in normal aging, the influence in pathological contexts, such as oncology, has not been studied. The main aim of this study is thus to analyze the effect of these two stigmas on the health of elderly oncology patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 101 patients suffering from a cancer (breast, gynecological, lung or hematological) were seen as soon as possible after their diagnosis. Their self-perception of age, cancer view and health (physical and mental) was assessed. RESULTS: Multiple regressions showed that patients with a more negative self-perception of aging and/or more negative cancer view reported poorer global health. We also observed that negative self-perception of aging was associated with worse physical and mental health, whereas negative cancer views were only linked to worse mental health. No interaction was observed between these two stigmas, suggesting that their action is independent. CONCLUSION: Older patients with cancer face double stigmatization, due to negative self-perception of aging and cancer, and these stigmas have impacts on global and mental health. Self-perception of aging is also linked to physical health. Longitudinal studies will be necessary to analyze the direction of the association between this double stigmatization and health.
OBJECTIVES: Older people may suffer from stigmas linked to cancer and aging. Although some studies suggested that a negative view of cancer may increase the level of depression, such an association has never been studied in the elderly population. Similarly, even though it is established that a negative self-perception of aging has deleterious consequences on mental and physical health in normal aging, the influence in pathological contexts, such as oncology, has not been studied. The main aim of this study is thus to analyze the effect of these two stigmas on the health of elderly oncology patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 101 patients suffering from a cancer (breast, gynecological, lung or hematological) were seen as soon as possible after their diagnosis. Their self-perception of age, cancer view and health (physical and mental) was assessed. RESULTS: Multiple regressions showed that patients with a more negative self-perception of aging and/or more negative cancer view reported poorer global health. We also observed that negative self-perception of aging was associated with worse physical and mental health, whereas negative cancer views were only linked to worse mental health. No interaction was observed between these two stigmas, suggesting that their action is independent. CONCLUSION: Older patients with cancer face double stigmatization, due to negative self-perception of aging and cancer, and these stigmas have impacts on global and mental health. Self-perception of aging is also linked to physical health. Longitudinal studies will be necessary to analyze the direction of the association between this double stigmatization and health.
Authors: C Gomez-Moreno; H Verduzco-Aguirre; S Contreras-Garduño; A Perez-de-Acha; J Alcalde-Castro; Y Chavarri-Guerra; J M A García-Lara; A P Navarrete-Reyes; J A Avila-Funes; E Soto-Perez-de-Celis Journal: Clin Transl Oncol Date: 2019-04-11 Impact factor: 3.405
Authors: Maria Velia Giulietti; Anna Vespa; Marica Ottaviani; Rossana Berardi; Giancarlo Balercia; Giorgio Arnaldi; Pisana Gattafoni; Paolo Fabbietti; Mirko Di Rosa; Roberta Spatuzzi Journal: Cancer Control Date: 2019 Jan-Dec Impact factor: 3.302
Authors: Sarah Schroyen; Pierre Missotten; Guy Jerusalem; M Van den Akker; F Buntinx; Stéphane Adam Journal: BMC Cancer Date: 2017-09-02 Impact factor: 4.430