Health-related quality of life in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: The mediation effects of illness perceptions and coping
Journal
Psycho-Oncology
Journal Volume
22
Journal Issue
6
Pages
1353-1360
Date Issued
2013
Author(s)
Abstract
Background The aims of this study were to explore health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We report the following: (1) differences in HRQOL between patients with HCC and the general population; (2) significant physical and psychological predictors of HRQOL; and (3) mediation effects of illness perceptions and coping on HRQOL. Methods Patients with HCC (n = 286) from Taiwan completed standardized measures of HRQOL, illness perception (cognitive representations, emotional representations and illness comprehensibility) and coping (emotion-oriented and problem-orientation coping). Demographic and physical variables were also collected. Results Patients with HCC had worse global HRQOL, physical, role, cognitive and social functioning, but better emotional functioning than the general population. Physical variables and cognitive representation were significant predictors of global HRQOL, physical functioning and emotional functioning. Cognitive representation mediated the relationships between physical variables and global HRQOL, physical functioning and emotional functioning, but coping only mediated the relationship between cognitive representation and global HRQOL. Conclusions The results suggest that physical variables have direct effects on global HRQOL and physical functioning, but there were also partial mediations through cognitive representation. The effect of physical variables on emotional functioning was mediated through cognitive and emotional representations. Patients with better performance status and positive illness perceptions tended to report better HRQOL, but those with negative illness perceptions and who used more emotion-oriented coping had worse HRQOL. Limitations of the work associated with use of theory and measures developed in Europe and the US are discussed, as are the clinical implications for patients with HCC. Copyright ? 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
SDGs
Other Subjects
adult; aged; article; attitude to illness; cancer patient; cognition; controlled study; coping behavior; emotion; female; functional status; human; liver cell carcinoma; major clinical study; male; physical activity, capacity and performance; quality of life; Taiwan; Activities of Daily Living; Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Aged; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cross-Sectional Studies; Emotions; Female; Health Status; Humans; Liver Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Perception; Quality of Life; Questionnaires; Regression Analysis; Socioeconomic Factors
Type
journal article