Social constraints and cancer-related quality of life in single and partnered young adult testicular cancer survivors: a contextual approach

Abstract

Purpose/objective

To examine the context of relationship status on the link between friends/family social constraints (SC_ff) and cancer-related quality-of-life (QOL) among young adult testicular cancer survivors.

Design/research approach

Participants completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (general version), the Social Constraints Scale (friends/family), and demographic questions.

Sample/participants

The sample included 162 young adult testicular cancer survivors.

Findings

SC_ff, but not relationship status, significantly predicted QOL when controlling for age, time since diagnosis, education, and income. The SC_ff X relationship status interaction was significant such that SC_ff were more strongly related to lower QOL for single survivors than for partnered survivors.

Implications

Focusing on friends and family support of young adult survivors, findings highlight the vulnerability of single survivors to social constraints within their diffuse social network. Interventions that target supportive exchanges in friends and family networks may be useful in improving QOL in single young adult cancer survivors.

Keywords:

• Cancer
• quality of life
• relationship status
• social constraints
• testicular cancer
• young adult

Disclosure statement

The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest or disclosures.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by funds from the Livestrong Foundation and the National Cancer Institute (1SC1CA187494).