The Impact of Symptom Burden, Social Support, Self-Efficacy, and eHealth Literacy on the Quality of Life of Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose: The number of breast cancer patients in Korea has steadily increased. However, there are few studies addressing quality of life of patients undergoing breast cancer treatment in Korea. This study aimed to identify predictors of quality of life among patients undergoing breast cancer treatment.Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 142 patients with breast cancer undergoing treatment in a cancer hospital. Data were collected using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Breast Cancer Survivors Scale, eHealth Literacy Scale, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer through self-administered questionnaires from January 12 to December 6, 2022. Differences in the level of quality of life according to demographic and clinical variables and correlations among continuous variables were identified using univariate statistics, and hierarchical multiple regression was used to identify predictors of quality of life.Results: Employment status, comorbidities, disease duration, and cancer stage were demographic and clinical variables that showed significant associations with quality of life. Symptom burden, social support, self-efficacy, and eHealth literacy were also significantly associated with quality of life. The predictors of quality of life were employment status (β=.13, p=.009), cancer stage (β=.12, p=.033), symptom severity (β=-.14, p=.044), symptom interference (β=-.30, p<.001), social support (β=.13, p=.025), and self-efficacy (β=.46, p<.001). The explanatory power was approximately 69% (F=26.90, p<.001).Conclusion: Nursing interventions should be implemented for patients undergoing breast cancer treatment to improve their quality of life while reducing the symptom burden and enhancing self-efficacy and social support.