Empowerment linked to HRQoL in teen, young adult CA survivors
(HealthDay)—For adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors, empowerment is independently associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL), according to research published online July 11 in Cancer.
Suzanne E.J. Kaal, M.D., from the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, Netherlands, and colleagues examined the correlation between empowerment and HRQoL in 83 AYA patients. Participants were invited to complete questionnaires regarding empowerment, HRQoL, as well as sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics.
The researchers found that most of the participants had been treated with chemotherapy (86 percent) and had a more advanced stage of disease. At the time of participation, 74 percent had completed treatment. The empowerment level ranged from 114 to 200, with a mean of 154.1. Positive associations were seen between empowerment and the autonomy subscales of self-awareness, capacity for managing new situations, and social support. There was a negative correlation for coping difficulties with empowerment. Independent associations were seen for empowerment with physical, psychological, social, religious, and total HRQoL (all P < 0.01).
"Low levels of empowerment were associated with low levels of autonomy and social support, female sex, and coping difficulties among AYA patients with cancer," the authors write. "Recognizing these patients as candidates for empowerment interventions ultimately could help to improve HRQOL in late adolescence and young adulthood."
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