Mexican Breast Cancer Women and Their Partners: Individual and Couple Analysis

Abstract

Breast cancer impacts the patients and their partners; their characteristics affect outcomes for themselves and the other members of the dyad and their relationship. This study explored whether the age of both couple members differentiates dyadic adjustment, social support, and quality of life perception and evaluates the relationship between dyadic adjustment, social support, and quality of life perception in Mexican couples with breast cancer. Methods: The cross-sectional correlational study included 120 patients with breast cancer and their partners. Couples were divided into two groups based on patients’ age. The couples’ dyadic adjustment, social support, and quality of life were evaluated. Results: Older dyads obtained the highest dyadic adjustment and social support scores compared to young dyads. Dyadic adjustment was associated with social support in both young and old couples. A positive relationship was found between young partners’ social support and dyadic adjustment and young patients’ quality of life and older partners’ dyadic adjustment and older patients’ quality of life. Conclusion: The results from both partners confirm that age determines the perceptions of younger and older couples concerning to the process and outcome relationship and their quality of life. In this sample, we can observe the relationship between both members of the couple.

Keywords:

• Breast cancer
• partner
• dyadic adjustment
• social support
• quality of life

Acknowledgments

We thank the support of CONAHCyT.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 The sample was divided into two groups depending on the age of the patients (≤40 or ≥50), since according to Villarreal-Garza et al. (2014) these groups have different risk factors, tumor characteristics, clinical outcomes, and personal interests.