Measuring the Psychosocial Dimensions of Quality of Life in Patients With Advanced Cancer

TY - JOUR

T1 - Measuring the Psychosocial Dimensions of Quality of Life in Patients With Advanced Cancer

AU - Grünke, Britta

AU - Philipp, Rebecca

AU - Vehling, Sigrun

AU - Scheffold, Katharina

AU - Härter, Martin

AU - Oechsle, Karin

AU - Schulz-Kindermann, Frank

AU - Mehnert, Anja

AU - Lo, Christopher

N1 - Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2018/3

Y1 - 2018/3

N2 - CONTEXT: Quality of life (QoL) is a central focus of care in advanced cancer. Specialized instruments, such as the Quality of Life at the End of Life-Cancer (QUAL-EC), may be useful to assess psychosocial issues associated with QoL unique to this population.OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the measurement of the psychosocial dimensions of QoL using the German translation of the QUAL-EC-Psychosocial (QUAL-EC-P) questionnaire, including factor structure and psychometrics.METHODS: About 183 patients with advanced cancer from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and University Medical Center Leipzig completed the QUAL-EC-P questionnaire. We conducted exploratory factor analysis as well as item and reliability analysis. We examined convergent validity with correlations between the scale and relevant psychological constructs.RESULTS: The sample was 60% female with mean age of 57.7 (SD = 11.7). We extracted three factors accounting for 44% of the variance aligning with the structure of the instrument. The QUAL-EC-P questionnaire showed good to acceptable internal consistency for the QoL-psychosocial total score (α = 0.77), the Life completion subscale (α = 0.77), and the Relationship with health care provider subscale (α = 0.81). The Preparation for end of life subscale had adequate albeit low internal consistency (α = 0.64) because concerns about family were less associated with financial worry and fear of death than expected. The psychosocial dimensions of QoL correlated negatively with depression (r = -0.27, P ≤ 0.001), anxiety (r = -0.32, P ≤ 0.001), demoralization (r = -0.63, P ≤ 0.001), and attachment insecurity (r = -0.51, P ≤ 0.001) and positively with spiritual well-being (r = 0.63, P ≤ 0.001).CONCLUSION: The QUAL-EC-P questionnaire may be used to assess the psychosocial aspects of QoL and promote their clinical discussion in patients with advanced cancer.

AB - CONTEXT: Quality of life (QoL) is a central focus of care in advanced cancer. Specialized instruments, such as the Quality of Life at the End of Life-Cancer (QUAL-EC), may be useful to assess psychosocial issues associated with QoL unique to this population.OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the measurement of the psychosocial dimensions of QoL using the German translation of the QUAL-EC-Psychosocial (QUAL-EC-P) questionnaire, including factor structure and psychometrics.METHODS: About 183 patients with advanced cancer from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and University Medical Center Leipzig completed the QUAL-EC-P questionnaire. We conducted exploratory factor analysis as well as item and reliability analysis. We examined convergent validity with correlations between the scale and relevant psychological constructs.RESULTS: The sample was 60% female with mean age of 57.7 (SD = 11.7). We extracted three factors accounting for 44% of the variance aligning with the structure of the instrument. The QUAL-EC-P questionnaire showed good to acceptable internal consistency for the QoL-psychosocial total score (α = 0.77), the Life completion subscale (α = 0.77), and the Relationship with health care provider subscale (α = 0.81). The Preparation for end of life subscale had adequate albeit low internal consistency (α = 0.64) because concerns about family were less associated with financial worry and fear of death than expected. The psychosocial dimensions of QoL correlated negatively with depression (r = -0.27, P ≤ 0.001), anxiety (r = -0.32, P ≤ 0.001), demoralization (r = -0.63, P ≤ 0.001), and attachment insecurity (r = -0.51, P ≤ 0.001) and positively with spiritual well-being (r = 0.63, P ≤ 0.001).CONCLUSION: The QUAL-EC-P questionnaire may be used to assess the psychosocial aspects of QoL and promote their clinical discussion in patients with advanced cancer.

U2 - 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2017.11.006

DO - 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2017.11.006

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 29155291

VL - 55

SP - 985-991.e1

JO - J PAIN SYMPTOM MANAG

JF - J PAIN SYMPTOM MANAG

SN - 0885-3924

IS - 3

ER -