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Mental health-related quality of life is associated with diet quality among survivors of breast cancer

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Abstract

Objective

This study sought to understand the association of mental health-related quality of life (MHRQoL) and nutritional status (food security status and malnutrition risk), with diet quality among female survivors of breast cancer.

Method

This pilot cross-sectional study utilized self-report survey data from the RAND-36, the USDA 2-item food insecurity screen, the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST), and the Diet History Questionnaire II (DHQII)/Health Eating Index 2015 (HEI). Participants self-selected participation after being identified through an academic medical center cancer registry and contact through mailed recruitment letters and flyers posted in oncology clinics. Emotional well-being and social functioning composite scores of the RAND-36 were used to characterize MHRQoL. Correlational and regression analyses were performed to assess the association of diet quality, nutritional status, and MHRQoL.

Results

The majority of participants (n = 90) were non-Hispanic white (90%), average age of 71.3 ± 8.1 years, and an average body mass index (BMI) of 28.2 ± 6.6. Four of the 90 participants (4.4%) scored at risk for food insecurity. Linear regression indicated that social functioning composite scores were positively associated with HEI scores (β = 0.11, SE = 0.53, p = 0.03). Controlling for demographic characteristics, education level (β = 5.25, SE = 2.25, p = 0.02) was positively associated with HEI scores.

Conclusion

Diet quality and MHRQoL were associated among breast cancer survivors, with education level also being associated with diet quality. These results can be used to aid targeted nutrition counseling and mental health interventions to address the nutritional vulnerabilities among female breast cancer survivors, particularly among older cancer survivors.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, JLKS, upon reasonable request.

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Funding

This study was funded in part by The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Comprehensive Cancer & Aging Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Medical Dietetics and Health Sciences, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, 306 Atwell Hall 453 W. 10th Ave., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Janell Pisegna, Colleen Spees & Jessica L. Krok-Schoen

  2. Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, 460 W. 10th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Menglin Xu, Colleen Spees & Jessica L. Krok-Schoen

Authors
  1. Janell Pisegna
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  2. Menglin Xu
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  3. Colleen Spees
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  4. Jessica L. Krok-Schoen
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Correspondence to Jessica L. Krok-Schoen.

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Pisegna, J., Xu, M., Spees, C. et al. Mental health-related quality of life is associated with diet quality among survivors of breast cancer. Support Care Cancer 29, 2021–2028 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05698-1

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