FACTORS RELATED TO HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG POSTOPERATIVE MALE MUSCLE INVASIVE BLADDER CANCER PATIENTS RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY IN WENZHOU, CHINA

Abstract

Understanding the factors related to the health-related quality of life of postoperative male MIBC patients receiving chemotherapy is critical for nurses and caregivers. The purpose of this study was to describe the health-related quality of life and its related factors among postoperative male MIBC patients receiving chemotherapy. A simple random sampling method was used to recruit 106 male MIBC patients receiving chemotherapy from the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Research instruments included the demographic data questionnaire, the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (ASI) scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MPSSS), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy in Bladder Cancer (FACT-BL). Their reliabilities were .86, .84 and .86 respectively. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient.

The results showed that the average score of overall health-related quality of life in postoperative male MIBC patients receiving chemotherapy tends to be low (M = 79.27 out of 156, SD = 22.58). There were negative association between age and symptoms with health-related quality of life (r = -.30, p < .01 and r = -.77, p < .01, respectively). While social support had a moderate positive correlation with health-related quality of life (r = .62, p < .01).

Results of the study suggest that improving health-related quality of life among postoperative male MIBC patients receiving chemotherapy, nurses and healthcare providers should focus on symptom management and provision of social support.

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