Journal article
Infertility After Cancer: How the Need to Be a Parent, Fertility-Related Social Concern, and Acceptance of Illness Influence Quality of Life
Cancer Nursing, Vol.44(4), pp.E244-E251
2021
PMID: 32209862
Abstract
Background:
Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) given a diagnosis of cancer who experience infertility concerns often report having poorer quality of life (QoL). However, the role of infertility-related stressors and illness acceptance on QoL is not clear.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to describe the impact of psychosocial factors surrounding cancer treatment and infertility on QoL. We hypothesized that need for parenthood and infertility-related social concerns would be directly related to QoL and indirectly related to QoL through acceptance of illness.
Methods:
Cancer patients/survivors (n = 178; 75.3% female) aged 15 to 29 years completed measures of QoL, acceptance of illness, infertility-related social concerns, and need for parenthood. Path analysis was used to test the hypothesized and subsequent models to determine the best fit for predictors of QoL.
Results:
The final model explained 28.36% of the variance in QoL. Lower infertility-related social concerns were directly and indirectly related to higher QoL scores. Need for parenthood did not directly relate to QoL, instead relating directly to increased infertility-related social concerns. Higher acceptance of illness (β = .39) and older age (β = .19) were directly related to higher QoL scores. Female patients had higher need for parenthood (β = .17).
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that social concerns and expectations surrounding infertility have a negative impact on AYA cancer survivors' and patients' QoL, which increases as AYAs approach socially normative parenting age.
Implications for Practice:
Providing survivors with specialist support to manage their infertility-related social concerns and improve their acceptance of illness has the potential to improve their QoL.
Details
- Title
- Infertility After Cancer: How the Need to Be a Parent, Fertility-Related Social Concern, and Acceptance of Illness Influence Quality of Life
- Authors
- Pandora Patterson (Author) - CanteenJanette Perz (Author) - Western Sydney UniversityRichard Tindle (Author) - CanteenFiona E. J McDonald (Author) - CanteenJane M Ussher (Author) - Western Sydney University
- Publication details
- Cancer Nursing, Vol.44(4), pp.E244-E251
- Publisher
- Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
- DOI
- 10.1097/NCC.0000000000000811
- ISSN
- 1538-9804
- PMID
- 32209862
- Organisation Unit
- Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99557707702621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Nursing
- Oncology
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Source: InCites