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Relationships among personality, coping, and concurrent health-related quality of life in women with breast cancer

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Abstract

Background

Theory has suggested that personality plays an important role related to health behavior and results in health outcomes, but inconsistent with the findings exist. Moreover, limited research has focused on style of coping with personality traits and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for patients with breast cancer. We tested how ways of coping and personality traits are associated with HRQOL in patients with breast cancer, after controlling for age, education, disease severity, and sleep disorders.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study of 207 patients with breast cancer, they completed a set of questionnaires at two general hospitals. The measures used were demographic and individual characteristics, personality traits, ways of coping, and health surveys. We used correlations and hierarchical regressions to determine all relationships among factors, sleep disorders, personality, coping, and HRQOL.

Results

Most participants were reported as having stage II (77, 37.2%) breast cancer. About 60% patients with breast cancer have poor sleep and sleep disorders having a negative association with HRQOL. Participants using more active coping, with lower neuroticism, and higher agreeableness traits are more likely to have a better physical quality of life (PQOL). In the PQOL regression model, clinical conditions (duration since cancer diagnosis; sleep disorders) and two personality traits (neuroticism and agreeableness) significantly explained 23% of variance. Moreover, fewer sleep disorders and two personality traits (neuroticism and conscientiousness) significantly explained 31% of variance in the mental quality-of-life (MQOL) regression model.

Conclusions

A high prevalence of sleep disorders for patients with breast cancer has occurred and sleep disorders were negatively associated with PQOL and MQOL. In addition, neuroticism was positively related to sleep disorders and could be relevant to psycho-educational interventions.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank for the funding granted by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan under Grant no. MOST-103-2314-B-214-006-MY3.

Funding

Grant no: MOST-103-2314-B-214-006-MY3 Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nursing Department, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Jhongyang Rd., Hualien, 97004, Taiwan

    Hui-Ling Lai

  2. Management College, I-Shou University, No. 1 Sec. 1, Syuecheng Rd., Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Chun-I. Chen

  3. Nursing Department, I-Shou University, No. 8 Yida Rd., Kaohsiung, 82445, Taiwan

    Chu-Yun Lu, Yu-Chun Yao & Chiung-Yu Huang

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  1. Hui-Ling Lai
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Correspondence to Chiung-Yu Huang.

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Lai, HL., Chen, CI., Lu, CY. et al. Relationships among personality, coping, and concurrent health-related quality of life in women with breast cancer. Breast Cancer 26, 544–551 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-019-00954-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-019-00954-7

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