The predictors of poor quality of life in a sample of Saudi women with breast cancer

Figures & data

Table 1 Differences in quality of life by demographic and clinical characteristics (N=145)

Characteristics	Levels	Overall, N=145	Physical functioning, 54.5±28.8		Role limitations due to physical health, 29.3±38.3		Role limitations due to emotional problems, 33.6±42.1
		n (%)	Mean (SD)	P-value	Mean (SD)	P-value	Mean (SD)	P-value
Elderly	No	113 (77.9)	58.4 (27.6)	0.002*	27.4 (37.6)	0.270	31.9 (41.2)	0.363
	Yes	32 (22.1)	40.5 (28.7)		35.9 (40.6)		39.6 (45.9)
University	No	98 (67.6)	48.7 (26.8)	0.001*	30.1 (38.0)	0.721	34.0 (41.7)	0.854
	Yes	47 (32.4)	66.4 (29.2)		27.7 (39.4)		32.6 (43.7)
Employed	No	108 (74.5)	51.1 (27.0)	0.015	31.0 (38.6)	0.361	37.3 (43.6)	0.045
	Yes	37 (25.5)	64.3 (31.6)		24.3 (37.5)		22.5 (36.1)
Married	No	37 (25.5)	49.1 (28.9)	0.187	31.1 (36.5)	0.746	31.5 (38.4)	0.736
	Yes	108 (74.5)	56.3 (28.6)		28.7 (39.1)		34.3 (43.6)
Obese	No	76 (62.8)	53.9 (28.3)	0.741	34.2 (41.4)	0.194	34.2 (44.2)	0.869
	Yes	45 (37.2)	55.8 (31.2)		25.0 (35.0)		35.6 (41.7)
Family history of cancer	No	84 (57.9)	54.0 (29.1)	0.882	35.1 (40.2)	0.028	38.5 (44.7)	0.091
	Yes	61 (42.1)	55.1 (28.4)		21.3 (34.4)		26.8 (37.9)
First-year-after-cancer diagnosis	No	69 (47.6)	52.4 (27.3)	0.414	25.7 (35.1)	0.281	32.4 (40.4)	0.745
	Yes	76 (52.4)	56.3 (30.0)		32.6 (41.0)		34.6 (44.0)
Cancer stage	I/II	79 (61.2)	61.5 (27.6)	0.005	31.3 (38.3)	0.489	40.1 (44.1)	0.016
	III/IV	50 (38.8)	47.0 (28.2)		26.5 (38.9)		22.7 (35.9)
Multiple tumors	No	108 (74.5)	58.9 (27.9)	0.001*	32.2 (39.7)	0.095	41.4 (44.4)	0.001*
	Yes	37 (25.5)	41.5 (27.5)		20.9 (33.1)		10.8 (23.6)
Cancer surgery	No	51 (35.2)	56.2 (30.9)	0.596	33.8 (40.9)	0.298	31.4 (41.3)	0.647
	Yes	94 (64.8)	53.5 (27.6)		26.9 (36.9)		34.8 (42.9)
Chemotherapy	No	39 (26.9)	55.0 (28.4)	0.889	34.6 (39.2)	0.314	35.9 (44.2)	0.688
	Yes	106 (73.1)	54.2 (29.0)		27.4 (38.0)		32.7 (41.7)
Radiation therapy	No	61 (42.1)	52.8 (30.6)	0.555	30.7 (38.8)	0.704	27.3 (37.8)	0.120
	Yes	84 (57.9)	55.7 (27.5)		28.3 (38.2)		38.1 (44.9)
Immunotherapy	No	74 (51.0)	61.8 (28.0)	0.001*	33.8 (41.7)	0.151	39.6 (44.7)	0.076
	Yes	71 (49.0)	46.8 (27.7)		24.6 (34.2)		27.2 (38.8)
Antibodies	No	102 (72.3)	57.3 (27.5)	0.074	29.7 (38.0)	0.949	35.9 (43.4)	0.453
	Yes	39 (27.7)	47.6 (31.6)		30.1 (40.6)		29.9 (40.3)
Metastasis	No	101 (69.7)	60.3 (26.4)	0.001*	31.4 (38.8)	0.314	41.6 (44.6)	0.001*
	Yes	44 (30.3)	40.9 (29.7)		24.4 (37.2)		15.2 (29.2)
Fever	No	91 (62.8)	56.1 (30.1)	0.371	33.5 (39.8)	0.086	41.0 (44.7)	0.003*
	Yes	54 (37.2)	51.7 (26.3)		22.2 (34.9)		21.0 (34.4)
Family support	No	14 (9.7)	62.9 (32.0)	0.251	21.4 (33.8)	0.420	31.0 (46.2)	0.809
	Yes	131 (90.3)	53.5 (28.4)		30.2 (38.8)		33.8 (42.0)
Chronic disease other than cancer	No	93 (64.1)	59.3 (27.9)	0.006	30.1 (40.0)	0.739	31.2 (41.6)	0.366
	Yes	52 (35.9)	45.8 (28.5)		27.9 (35.6)		37.8 (43.3)
Regular exercise	No	99 (68.3)	51.8 (29.5)	0.106	29.0 (39.7)	0.902	32.3 (43.0)	0.606
	Yes	46 (31.7)	60.1 (26.6)		29.9 (35.6)		36.2 (40.9)

Note:

* The variable is significant using the Bonferroni correction cutoff at α/n=0.05/19=0.003, where n is the number of tests.

Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.

Table 2 Differences in quality of life by demographic and clinical characteristics (N=145)

Characteristics		Vitality, 43.9±20.8	P-value	Emotional wellbeing, 61.4±20.0	P-value	Social functioning, 58.4±28.2	P-value	Pain, 49.0±26.6	P-value	General health, 50.7±19.2	P-value
		Mean (SD)		Mean (SD)		Mean (SD)		Mean (SD)		Mean (SD)
Elderly	No	44.2 (20.3)	0.740	59.8 (20.6)	0.062	59.0 (28.1)	0.633	48.5 (27.1)	0.632	51.3 (19.2)	0.486
	Yes	42.8 (22.7)		67.3 (17.0)		56.3 (28.9)		51.0 (25.2)		48.6 (19.3)
University	No	43.4 (21.4)	0.660	63.0 (19.6)	0.162	61.1 (28.8)	0.092	47.6 (27.1)	0.349	50.9 (18.9)	0.837
	Yes	45.0 (19.6)		58.0 (20.7)		52.7 (26.4)		52.0 (25.5)		50.2 (19.9)
Employed	No	44.9 (21.0)	0.319	63.7 (19.0)	0.020	61.1 (26.7)	0.045	49.6 (25.8)	0.651	50.7 (18.5)	0.996
	Yes	40.9 (20.3)		54.8 (21.7)		50.3 (31.4)		47.3 (29.2)		50.7 (21.4)
Married	No	44.5 (19.2)	0.850	63.5 (13.6)	0.371	59.8 (26.0)	0.721	50.1 (24.6)	0.768	52.8 (18.9)	0.432
	Yes	43.7 (21.4)		60.7 (21.8)		57.9 (29.0)		48.6 (27.4)		50.0 (19.3)
Obese	No	44.5 (19.8)	0.631	61.3 (18.9)	0.918	57.2 (28.7)	0.495	49.7 (28.7)	0.749	50.5 (17.8)	0.982
	Yes	42.7 (22.1)		60.9 (20.0)		60.8 (26.5)		48.1 (23.1)		50.4 (20.7)
Family history of cancer	No	46.0 (21.3)	0.151	64.0 (19.9)	0.073	63.1 (28.1)	0.017	52.8 (28.1)	0.039	51.6 (19.0)	0.501
	Yes	41.0 (19.9)		57.9 (19.9)		51.8 (27.3)		43.8 (23.7)		49.4 (19.5)
First-year-after-cancer diagnosis	No	43.4 (23.7)	0.791	63.7 (21.3)	0.200	62.7 (29.9)	0.079	49.7 (29.4)	0.766	52.9 (18.3)	0.188
	Yes	44.3 (17.9)		59.4 (18.7)		54.4 (26.2)		48.4 (24.0)		48.7 (19.9)
Cancer stage	I/II	47.7 (18.8)	0.005	63.0 (19.7)	0.086	62.2 (24.1)	0.114	54.2 (24.7)	0.002*	53.7 (18.4)	0.008
	III/IV	37.6 (21.3)		56.8 (19.8)		53.8 (32.1)		39.9 (26.6)		44.6 (18.7)
Multiple tumors	No	47.2 (20.3)	0.001*	63.3 (20.1)	0.052	62.7 (26.7)	0.001*	54.3 (26.1)	0.001*	54.1 (18.3)	0.001*
	Yes	34.2 (19.3)		55.9 (19.0)		45.6 (28.9)		33.6 (22.1)		40.8 (18.6)
Cancer surgery	No	43.0 (17.3)	0.716	63.2 (14.5)	0.367	55.1 (26.8)	0.314	49.5 (23.7)	0.870	46.6 (18.1)	0.057
	Yes	44.4 (22.6)		60.4 (22.5)		60.1 (28.9)		48.8 (28.2)		52.9 (19.5)
Chemotherapy	No	45.0 (18.8)	0.700	62.1 (21.9)	0.815	59.3 (25.9)	0.810	51.5 (27.4)	0.502	50.1 (22.2)	0.832
	Yes	43.5 (21.6)		61.2 (19.4)		58.0 (29.1)		48.1 (26.4)		50.9 (18.1)
Radiation therapy	No	43.3 (19.2)	0.762	62.8 (18.0)	0.472	56.8 (27.3)	0.563	49.7 (22.9)	0.782	50.7 (19.9)	0.980
	Yes	44.3 (22.0)		60.4 (21.5)		59.5 (29.0)		48.5 (29.2)		50.7 (18.8)
Immunotherapy	No	48.5 (16.6)	0.006	63.0 (18.0)	0.339	57.9 (23.8)	0.856	55.2 (23.5)	0.004	52.0 (19.0)	0.418
	Yes	39.1 (23.6)		59.8 (22.0)		58.8 (32.3)		42.5 (28.3)		49.4 (19.5)
Antibodies	No	44.9 (20.6)	0.521	60.4 (21.5)	0.359	59.1 (27.7)	0.388	51.1 (25.4)	0.216	51.1 (18.6)	0.850
	Yes	42.3 (22.1)		63.9 (16.5)		54.5 (29.3)		44.9 (29.7)		50.4 (21.3)
Metastasis	No	48.7 (19.8)	0.001*	63.2 (20.8)	0.101	63.2 (26.4)	0.001*	55.6 (25.7)	0.001*	55.9 (18.0)	0.001*
	Yes	32.8 (19.0)		57.3 (17.7)		47.2 (29.4)		34.0 (22.5)		38.8 (16.6)
Fever	No	47.7 (19.5)	0.004	66.5 (16.4)	0.001*	61.8 (25.5)	0.071	54.0 (25.1)	0.003*	54.5 (19.4)	0.002*
	Yes	37.5 (21.5)		52.9 (22.8)		52.5 (31.7)		40.6 (27.2)		44.3 (17.1)
Family support	No	40.0 (23.6)	0.463	55.1 (21.8)	0.220	54.5 (27.6)	0.588	44.1 (23.7)	0.470	48.2 (16.1)	0.613
	Yes	44.3 (20.5)		62.1 (19.8)		58.8 (28.4)		49.5 (26.9)		51.0 (19.5)
Chronic disease other than cancer	No	44.6 (18.8)	0.602	60.6 (19.1)	0.542	58.3 (27.9)	0.987	52.4 (26.3)	0.039	52.5 (18.8)	0.135
	Yes	42.6 (24.1)		62.8 (21.8)		58.4 (29.0)		42.9 (26.4)		47.5 (19.7)
Regular exercise	No	41.9 (21.3)	0.085	59.8 (21.0)	0.157	56.7 (29.3)	0.297	45.7 (27.2)	0.025	47.2 (19.3)	0.001*
	Yes	48.3 (19.3)		64.9 (17.4)		62.0 (25.7)		56.3 (24.0)		58.2 (16.8)

Note:

* The variable is significant using the Bonferroni correction cutoff at α/n=0.05/19=0.003, where n is the number of tests.

Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.

Table 3 Multiple linear regression showing predictors of health-related quality of life in breast cancer patients

Characteristics	Physical functioning		Role limitations due to physical health		Role limitations due to emotional problems		Vitality		Emotional wellbeing		Social functioning		Pain		General health
	B	P-value	B	P-value	B	P-value	B	P-value	B	P-value	B	P-value	B	P-value	B	P-value
Constant	66.1	0.001	−15.1	0.048	50.0	0.001	55.7	0.001	70.3	0.001	103.6	0.001	60.6	0.001	58.1	0.001
Age											−0.4	0.035
University	13.4	0.013									−16.5	0.002
Employed					−20.4	0.018	−9.4	0.018	−10.1	0.009
Married
Obese
Family history of cancer			37.3	0.000					−8.5	0.017					−8.4	0.011
First-year-after-cancer diagnosis											−14.2	0.004
Cancer stage
Multiple tumors					−31.6	0.001					−20.6	0.001
Cancer surgery	−10.8	0.047
Chemotherapy
Radiation therapy
Immunotherapy							−7.2	0.046					−10.8	0.020
Antibodies
Metastasis	−22.9	0.001					−15.0	0.001					−19.4	0.001	−16.9	0.001
Fever									−9.1	0.011	−11.0	0.026
Family support
Chronic disease other than cancer
Regular exercise															8.2	0.017
Model summary
F-value	10.1	0.001	4.0	0.048	9.9	0.001	8.9	0.001	7.0	0.001	7.0	0.001	13.1	0.001	12.1	0.001
R^2	0.22		0.04		0.16		0.20		0.17		0.26		0.20		0.26
R	0.47		0.19		0.40		0.45		0.41		0.51		0.45		0.51

Notes: B represents the partial regression coefficient. F-value represents the test value of overall significance of the linear regression model; R² represents the proportion of variance explained; R represents multiple correlation coefficient.

Figure 1 Error bar charts, impact of cancer complications on bodily pain ratings.

Note: The higher the score, the lesser the pain.