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The association of socioeconomic status with quality of life in cancer patients over a 6-month period using individual growth models

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Abstract

Purpose

Studies examining longitudinal associations between socioeconomic factors and quality of life (QoL) in cancer patients are rare. This study investigates changes in QoL over a 6-month period.

Methods

Four hundred forty-two cancer patients (mean age 64, SD = 11, 70% male) completed standardized questionnaires at the beginning (t1) and end (t2) of their hospital stay and 3 (t3) and 6 months (t4) thereafter. QoL was assessed with the EORTC QLQ-C30 core questionnaire. Mixed effect models were employed to analyze individual changes in QoL in relation to socioeconomic status (education, income, job status) over the four timepoints. Age, sex, cohabitation, disease and treatment factors, and comorbidity were included as covariates in the models.

Results

Income was a predictive factor for QoL. Patients with a low income had 8.8 percentage points (PP) lower physical, 4.9 PP lower emotional, and 11.4 PP lower role functioning. They also had 6.6 PP lower global QoL. Lower social functioning (6.2 PP) was found in patients with higher education or university degrees compared with those who were less educated or had not undergone an apprenticeship. Income also influenced trajectories of role functioning. There was no evidence that primary or secondary education and job type were related to QoL.

Conclusions

The fact that income is negatively associated with many aspects of quality of life should be considered during and after treatment with a focus on patients with special needs.

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Funding

This study was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health (grant number NKP-332-026).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Medical Sociology, Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Straße 8, 06112, Halle (Saale), Germany

    Julia Roick

  2. Devision of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Straße 55, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Helge Danker

  3. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Leipzig, Semmelweisstraße 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Anette Kersting

  4. Department of Visceral, Transplantation, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery, University Medical Center Leipzig, Liebigstraße 20, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Arne Dietrich

  5. Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Leipzig, Liebigstraße 10-14, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Andreas Dietz

  6. Department of Radiation-Oncology, University Medical Center Leipzig, Stephanstraße 9a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Kirsten Papsdorf

  7. Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Leipzig, Liebigstraße 20, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Jürgen Meixensberger

  8. Department of Urology, University Medical Center Leipzig, Liebigstraße 20, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Jens-Uwe Stolzenburg

  9. Department of Pneumology, University Medical Center Leipzig, Liebigstraße 20, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Hubert Wirtz

  10. Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics (IMBEI), University Medical Centre of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Straße 69, 55131, Mainz, Germany

    Susanne Singer

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  1. Julia Roick
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  10. Susanne Singer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julia Roick.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed within this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Roick, J., Danker, H., Kersting, A. et al. The association of socioeconomic status with quality of life in cancer patients over a 6-month period using individual growth models. Support Care Cancer 27, 3347–3355 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4634-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4634-y

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