Understanding the Correlates of Health-related Quality of Life and Perceived Health Competence among Individuals with Cancer: Insight from the Pilot Study

Description

Page: 280-284

Khan Ateka¹ and Shaikh Ezaz² (Department of Psychology, Ahmednagar College, Ahilyanagar, Affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra^1,2 and Department of Psychology, Annasaheb Awate Arts, Commerce and Hutatma Babu Genu Science College, Manchar, Maharashtra²)

A cancer diagnosis often brings profound disruptions to a person’s physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. Two important psychological constructs that help capture this experience are Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), which reflects how illness affects daily functioning, and Perceived Health Competence, or the belief in one’s ability to manage health challenges. While symptoms like fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbances are frequently reported, few studies have examined their combined influence on both quality of life and health competence. This study involved 50 married adults-25 males and 25 females-aged between 30 and 50 years, undergoing treatment for colon, rectal, or lung cancer in five reputed hospitals in Pune, Maharashtra. Participants completed standardized measures assessing HRQoL, perceived health competence, fatigue severity, sleep quality, pain levels, and perceived family support. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation. Findings revealed significant negative correlations between fatigue (r = -0.587, p = .01), pain (r = -0.772, p = .01), and poor sleep quality (r = -0.481, p = .01) with HRQoL. Similarly, fatigue (r = -0.373, p = .01), pain (r = -0.344, p = .05), and sleep disturbances (r = -0.427, p = .01) were negatively associated with perceived health competence. Interestingly, perceived family support showed no significant relationship with either outcome. These results underscore the need for holistic cancer care that not only manages physical symptoms but also fosters psychological strength, empowering patients to take an active role in their healing journey.