The Relationship between Coping Strategies and Quality of Life in Women with Breast Cancer

Abstract

Background: Coping strategies with life changes are different depending on various situations. The individuals' quality of life (QOL) is, to some extent, influenced by the way they deal with life events. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between coping strategies and QOL of women with breast cancer. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 35 women with recently diagnosed breast cancer in Baqiyatallah Hospital, Tehran, Iran, in 2021-2022. Data were collected using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the Coping Operations Preference Enquiry (COPE). This study used SPSS statistical software to analyze the data. A Pearson correlation coefficient test was used to examine the relationship between variables. Results: Generally, the average QOL was approximately 58 to 60 and 57 to 63 at the beginning of study and the 3-month follow-up, respectively. There was a significant and positive relationship between active coping strategies and high QOL in all areas of the QOL at the beginning of treatment and 3-month follow-up (Pearson correlation coefficient > 0.70, P < 0.01). There was a significant relationship between younger age, higher education, marital status, lower disease stage, non-use of chemotherapy, and better QOL at the beginning of treatment and 3-month follow-up (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The QOL of women suffering from breast cancer is not only related to coping strategies but also to the demographic variables, such as age, disease stage, marital status, the type of treatment, and education.

Keywords

• coping
• breast
• cancer
• quality of life