The role of acculturation in life satisfaction among Hispanic cancer survivors: results of the American Cancer Society's study of cancer survivors

The effects of spiritual wellbeing on life satisfaction in hematologic cancer patients aged 65 and older in Turkey: mediating role of hope

BACKGROUND

The mediating role of hope in the effects of spiritual wellbeing on life satisfaction in elderly haematologic cancer patients in Turkey was investigated in the present study.

METHODS

The study was conducted in a descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational design. The study was conducted with 150 patients aged 65 and older who were diagnosed with haematologic cancer and who were referred to a university hospital haematology clinic and outpatient clinic. Research data were collected with Descriptive Information Form, Dispositional Hope Scale (DHS), Spiritual Well-being Scale (FACIT-Sp-12) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS).

RESULTS

FACIT-Sp-12 score was 37.25 ± 7.29; DHS score was 40.42 ± 8.29, SWLS score was 16.24 ± 8.79. FACIT-Sp-12 (β = 0.668) and DHS (β = 0.226) were found to affect SWLS positively. In terms of the effect of FACIT-Sp-12 on SWLS, DHS has a mediating role and makes the positive effect of FACIT-Sp-12 on SWLS stronger (β = 0.771).

CONCLUSIONS

Spiritual wellbeing levels of the participants in our study were found to be high, while their levels of satisfaction with life and hope were found to be moderate. It was also concluded that spiritual wellbeing had a direct effect on satisfaction with life and an indirect effect through the mediating role of hope.

Associations Between Acculturation and Weight, Diet Quality, and Physical Activity Among Latina Breast Cancer Survivors: The ¡Mi Vida Saludable! Study

BACKGROUND

Among Latinos, greater acculturation to the United States (US) is associated with risk of obesity and obesity-related comorbidities. Less is known about the associations between acculturation and obesity-related modifiable risk factors, such as diet quality and physical activity (PA) among Latina breast cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore associations between acculturation and weight status, diet quality, and PA among Latina breast cancer survivors.

DESIGN

This is a cross-sectional secondary analysis of baseline data on demographic and clinical characteristics, acculturation, anthropometric measures, diet quality, and PA collected from Latina breast cancer survivors enrolled in the ¡Mi Vida Saludable! (My Healthy Life) behavioral diet and PA intervention trial.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

Participants were Latina women (n = 167) residing in New York City, with a medical history of stage 0 to III breast cancer, no evidence of recurrent or metastatic disease, and at least 90 days post cancer treatment who participated in the ¡Mi Vida Saludable! randomized controlled trial between July 2016 and October 2018.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Acculturation status was measured by the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics score, language preference, place of birth, and duration of US residence. Weight, height, and waist and hip circumferences were measured at an in-person clinic visit. Diet information was collected via 3 telephone-based 24-hour dietary recalls and PA information was collected via staff administered 7-day recalls.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED

Linear regression models examined associations between acculturation and weight status, diet quality, and PA.

RESULTS

Based on the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics acculturation score, more acculturated compared with less acculturated Latinas were younger in age, more educated, and had higher annual household incomes (all, P < .05). Compared with Spanish-speaking Latinas, English-speaking Latinas had larger waist circumference (103 vs 96.1 cm; P = .01) and poorer-quality diets (Healthy Eating Index 2015 scores, 57.3 vs 71.5; P < .001). Greater levels of acculturation were also associated with higher levels of leisure walking at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity (265.8 vs 179.0 min/wk; P =.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Greater levels of acculturation were associated with higher central obesity and poorer-quality diets. Future lifestyle modification trials tailored to the unique role of acculturation on adopting behavior change recommendations is a promising next step in this line of research.

Examining the role of social support and spirituality on the general health perceptions of Hispanic cancer survivors

OBJECTIVE

Although cancer survival rates continue to improve, overall disparities persist for ethnic minority survivors, who have a disproportionately high risk of experiencing poor quality of life, despite documented higher levels of self-reported spirituality. Yet little is known about the relationship between spirituality and social support and health outcomes among Hispanic survivors. This study examined (1) differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white survivors on health, social support, and spirituality and (2) the potential mediating roles of mental health and emotional distress on general health perceptions.

METHODS

We analyzed data (N = 7778) from the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer Survivors-II, a national cross-sectional study of adult cancer survivors. Preliminary analysis compared sociodemographic and medical characteristics between the 2 groups to identify significant covariates. Structural equation modeling assessed whether mental health and emotional distress mediate the impact of social support and spirituality on Hispanics' general health perceptions.

RESULTS

Overall, 693 survivors were Hispanic and 7085 were non-Hispanic whites. Hispanics reported poorer health and were more likely to have comorbid conditions such as diabetes and depression compared with non-Hispanic whites. Structural equation modeling indicated that the impact of spirituality on general health perceptions was fully mediated through mental health. Emotional distress did not have a direct effect on general health perceptions nor did it mediate effects of spirituality and social support and on general health perceptions. There was a mediated effect of social support on general health perceptions.

CONCLUSIONS

Spirituality is an important factor in the health of Hispanic survivors. Future studies should explore the impact and effectiveness of spiritual interventions and the beneficial effect for mental health on general health perceptions.

Disparities in the survivorship experience among Latina survivors of breast cancer

BACKGROUND

The authors investigated disparities in the survivorship experience among Latinas with breast cancer (BC) in comparison with non-Latinas.

METHODS

A cross-sectional bilingual telephone survey was conducted among 212 Latina and non-Latina women within 10 to 24 months after a diagnosis of BC (AJCC TNM staging system stage 0-III) at 2 Los Angeles County public hospitals. Data were collected using the Preparing for Life as a (New) Survivor (PLANS) scale, Perceived Efficacy in Patient-Physician Interactions Questionnaire (PEPPI), Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT) Symptom Checklist, Satisfaction with Care and Information Scale, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) tool, Charlson Comorbidity Index adapted for patient self-report, and the 12-item Short Form Health Survey. Controlling variables included age, stage as determined by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging system, educational level, and study site in multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

The mean ages of Latinas and non-Latinas were 51.5 years and 56.6 years, respectively. Compared with non-Latinas, Latinas reported less BC survivorship knowledge (27.3 vs 30.7; P<.0001), were more dissatisfied with BC care information (2.3 vs 3.4; P<.0001), reported lower PEPPI scores (38.2 vs 42.2; P = .03), and experienced more BCPT symptoms (6.4 vs 5.0; P = .04). No differences were noted regarding their confidence in survivorship care preparedness (42.7 vs 41; P = .191), satisfaction with BC survivorship care (9.6 vs 8.8; P = .298), or their discussion with physicians (9.6 vs 8.1; P = .07). These ethnic group differences persisted in multivariate analyses, with the exception of PEPPI.

CONCLUSIONS

Latina survivors of BC experienced disparities in BC knowledge and satisfaction with information received, but believed themselves to be prepared for survivorship and were as satisfied with providers, care received, and discussions with physicians as non-Latinas. Cancer 2018;124:2373-80. © 2018 American Cancer Society.

Evaluating the impact of spirituality on the quality of life, anxiety, and depression among patients with cancer: an observational transversal study

OBJECTIVE

Spiritual well-being was found to have some protective effect against end-of life despair in cancer patients. We aimed at assessing the impact of spirituality on the quality of life, depression, and anxiety of Lebanese cancer patients.

METHODS

Our observational transversal monocentric study was conducted between January and April 2016 among a convenient sample of 115 Lebanese cancer patients admitted to Hôtel-Dieu de France Hospital (HDF), Beirut-Lebanon. In addition to socio-demographic and clinical data, three questionnaires were used: EORTC QLQ-C30 (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire, 3rd version), FACIT-Sp-12 (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being; The 12-item Spiritual Well-Being Scale, 4th version), and HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Eighteen patients taking anxiolytic and/or antidepressants were not included in the analysis. The remaining 97 patients were analyzed.

RESULTS

Better emotional and cognitive functioning was seen in patients with higher meaning, peace, faith, and total FACIT scores. Meaning, peace, and total FACIT scores were also higher among patients with better global health status and quality of life. Anxiety as well as depression was significantly associated to all spiritual well-being factors.

CONCLUSION

Spirituality can improve quality of life and decrease the incidence of anxiety and depression in cancer patients. Our results highlight the need to incorporate spiritual care in healthcare systems.

Understanding Latino Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Through a Bioecological Lens

The purpose of this article is to provide a summary of the published research addressing the challenges and strengths of Latino grandparents raising grandchildren in the United States. Using the bioecological framework as a guide to organize and understand the published literature addressing Latino grandparent caregivers, we examined refereed articles published over the past 19 years. This framework provides a lens for understanding and situating research on Latino grandparents raising grandchildren to discover Latino grandparents' strengths and challenges. The areas of foci include financial challenges, intergenerational relationships, reasons for caregiving, health status, language barriers, and culture. This article concludes with future research opportunities and a call to action for more research on Latino grandparents raising grandchildren.

Cancer Outcomes in Hispanics/Latinos in the United States: An Integrative Review and Conceptual Model of Determinants of Health

Cancer is the leading cause of death among Hispanics. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, Hispanics are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stages of disease and experience poor quality of life following a cancer diagnosis. Cancer outcomes are influenced by a confluence of social, cultural, behavioral and biological factors. Yet, much of the behavioral and psychosocial research in oncology has focused on non-Hispanic Whites, thus limiting our understanding of the potential web of factors that can influence cancer-related outcomes among Hispanics. Furthermore, features of Hispanic ethnicity and culture may influence and interact with, social, psychosocial, health care, disease-specific, and medical factors known to influence cancer-related outcomes, yet very few studies have integrated Hispanic cultural processes when addressing cancer-related outcomes for this ethnic group. Guided by the extant literature in oncology, Hispanic culture and health, and previously established models of determinants of minority health, we present a conceptual model that highlights the interplay of social, cultural, psychosocial, disease-specific, health care, and medical factors as determinants of cancer outcomes (morbidity, mortality, quality of life) and review key evidence of how features of Hispanic culture may influence cancer outcomes and contribute to the disparate outcomes observed in Hispanic cancer samples relative to non-Hispanic Whites. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of future research opportunities and existing challenges to researching oncology outcomes among Hispanics.

Health-Related Quality of Life Among Cancer Survivors Attending Support Groups

There is limited research on the relationship between Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and socioeconomic status (SES) among long-term cancer survivors. The goal of this study was to assess Global HRQoL among 102 adult cancer survivors attending support groups in San Diego County and to examine differences by SES and acculturation. Community-based participatory research methods were followed to recruit a purposive sample of English and Spanish-speaking adult cancer survivors attending cancer support groups. Self-report questionnaires assessing age, acculturation (i.e., language), SES (i.e., income and education), cancer history, and Global HRQoL measured by the FACT-G were administered. Multivariate regression examined the relationship between SES and acculturation with HRQoL, adjusting for covariates. Participants were 58.8 years on average (SD = 10.06) and varied in terms of SES. Most participants (91.5 %) were women, 51.7 % were non-Hispanic white, and 48.3 % were Hispanic/Latino. Global HRQoL scores in the study sample were lower compared to previously reported studies. After adjusting for covariates, SES and acculturation were not significantly related to HRQoL. Stage at diagnosis was significantly related to HRQoL measures in adjusted analyses. HRQoL did not vary by SES or acculturation. There is a need to increase access to linguistically and culturally appropriate cancer care and supportive care services. Future studies may find existing support group settings useful for targeting psychosocial issues for more advanced stage cancer survivors.

Spirituality, quality of life, psychological adjustment in terminal cancer patients in hospice

The purpose of this study was to show the different components of spirituality in the last few weeks of life for advanced cancer patients admitted to hospice and to evaluate quality of life (QoL), pain, anxiety, depression and psychological adjustment to cancer. One hundred and fifteen patients were interviewed with a series of rating scales: the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Spiritual Well-Being Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Visual Analogue Scale for pain, the Brief Coping Orientation to Problem Experienced and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale - General Measure. Workers and single patients with higher education level showed a worse QoL. Moreover, anxiety and pain were negatively associated with QoL, while spirituality and 'Instrumental Support' coping style were positively associated with QoL. In the Italian sample, it was observed that when patients are close to death, faith is a more important component of spirituality than meaning/peace. This study confirms that QoL could be related to physical and psychological symptoms, and this reiterates the importance of faith in end-of-life care.

Examining cultural factors that influence treatment decisions: a pilot study of Latino men with cancer

The objective of this study was to explore beliefs and treatment decisions of foreign-born Latino men from Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela, who have been diagnosed with cancer and who live in Central Florida, USA. Experiences related to knowledge of diagnosis, treatment decisions, communication with health providers, family involvement, and advance care planning (ACP) discussions following the diagnosis of cancer are central to this study. This study used qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. The interviews were conducted with 15 Latino men who have been diagnosed with cancer within the past 5 years and who reside in the community. The interviews were conducted and transcribed in Spanish and then translated into English. The median age was 55.4 years. Nine Latino men had prostate cancer, two had brain cancer, two had colorectal cancer, and two had lung cancer. Emerging themes involved the suddenness of the diagnosis, fear of dying, expectations of diagnosis-related communication, reliance on physicians for treatment decisions, limited information pertaining to ACP, family support, and role changes. Latino men's limited knowledge of cancer diagnosis and treatment options coupled with their fear led them to immediately believe that they were going to die. Knowledge gaps regarding diagnosis-related communication, treatment decisions, and ACP varied among the men. The forthright diagnosis communication and the expectation to engage in decision making are contrary to Latinos men's beliefs of reliance on health providers decisions. The findings contribute to understanding Latino men's beliefs about a cancer diagnosis and treatment decisions.

Inferior health-related quality of life and psychological well-being in immigrant cancer survivors: a population-based study

This study compared health-related quality of life (QOL) and psychological morbidity in a population-based sample of first generation immigrant and Anglo-Australian cancer survivors. Eligible participants, recruited via three State Cancer Registries, included those: with a new diagnosis of one of 12 most incident cancers (all stages) 1-6years earlier; aged 18-80 at diagnosis; born in a Chinese, Arabic, or Greek speaking country and able to speak one of these languages. A random sample of English-speaking Anglo-Australian-born controls frequency matched for cancer diagnosis was recruited. 596 patients (277 of whom were immigrants) participated (a 26% response rate). In multiple linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, education, marital status, socio-economic status, time since diagnosis and type of cancer, immigrants had clinically significantly worse QOL (5.4-8.5 points on Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General (FACT-G), P<0·0001), higher depression (P<0·0001) and higher incidence of clinical depression (P<0·01) than Anglo-Australians. Understanding the health system partially mediated this relationship for depression (P=0·0004) and QOL (P=0·001). Immigrant survivors of cancer have worse psychological and QOL outcomes than Anglo-Australians. Potential targets for intervention include assistance in navigating the health system, translated information and cultural competency training for health professionals.

Racial/ethnic differences in spiritual well-being among cancer survivors

This study examined racial/ethnic differences in spiritual well-being (SWB) among survivors of cancer. We hypothesized higher levels of Peace and Faith, but not Meaning, among Black and Hispanic survivors compared to White survivors, differences that would be reduced but remain significant after controlling for sociodemographic and medical factors. Hypotheses were tested with data from the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer Survivors-II. The FACIT-Sp subscale scores, Meaning, Peace, and Faith assessed SWB, and the SF-36 Physical Component Summary measured functional status. In general, bivariate models supported our initial hypotheses. After adjustment for sociodemographic and medical factors, however, Blacks had higher scores on both Meaning and Peace compared to Hispanics and Whites, and Hispanics' scores on Peace were higher than Whites' scores. In contrast, sociodemographic and medical factors had weak associations with Faith scores. The pattern with Faith in bivariate models persisted in the fully adjusted models. Racial/ethnic differences in Meaning and in Peace, important dimensions of SWB, were even stronger after controlling for sociodemographic and medical factors. However, racial/ethnic differences in Faith appeared to remain stable. Further research is needed to determine if racial/ethnic differences in SWB are related to variations in quality of life in survivors of cancer.

The satisfaction of Latina breast cancer survivors with their healthcare and health-related quality of life

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of satisfaction with the cancer care doctor and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among Latina breast cancer survivors (BCS) by (1) assessing whether satisfaction would be positively correlated with HRQOL and (2) assessing whether satisfaction would significantly influence HRQOL while controlling for covariates.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study used self-report data from 117 Latina BCS. Satisfaction was measured with the Hall Satisfaction Index, and HRQOL was measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G). Analyses included calculation of descriptive statistics, t tests, bivariate correlations, analyses of variance (ANOVAs), and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Latina BCS had high satisfaction and generally good HRQOL. The Hall Satisfaction Index total score was positively associated with FACT-G functional well-being (r=0.265, p=0.004). Multivariate analyses showed that the Hall Satisfaction Index total score was a significant predictor of FACT-G functional well-being (p=0.012). Employment status was also a significant predictor, where being employed or retired resulted in better functional well-being than being unemployed.

CONCLUSIONS

Latina BCS were quite satisfied with their cancer care doctors, and high levels of satisfaction with the cancer care doctor influenced functional well-being when confounding variables were controlled. Despite reportedly high satisfaction, Latina BCS did report barriers to satisfaction that could be considered cultural. Implications are discussed.

Psychological morbidity and quality of life of ethnic minority patients with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Ethnic minority is associated with higher cancer incidence and poorer survival than is being in the majority group. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess whether psychological morbidity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were affected by minority status.

METHODS

We searched Medline, AMED, PsycINFO, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, PubMed, Sociological Abstracts, and Web of Science for English-language articles published between Jan 1, 1995, and October, 2009. Articles were eligible if they reported original data on anxiety, depression, distress (for psychological morbidity), or HRQoL in minority and majority cancer patients or survivors. Minority status was defined as being an immigrant or having an ethnic, linguistic, or religious background different to the majority of the population in the country where the research was done. We excluded African Americans and indigenous groups. Eligible articles were rated for quality of reporting, external validity, internal validity, sample size, and power. Each quality criterion was rated independently by two reviewers until inter-rater reliability was achieved. In a meta-analysis we compared mean scores adjusted for socioeconomic status and other sociodemographic and clinical variables, where available. Effect sizes greater than 0·5 and 95% CI that included 0·5 or -0·5 were deemed clinically important, with negative values indicating worse outcomes in minority patients. We assessed publication bias by estimating the number of potential unpublished studies and the number of non-signficant studies with p=0·05 required to produce a non-significant overall result.

FINDINGS

We identified 21 eligible articles that included 18 datasets collected in the USA and one in each of Canada, Romania, and the UK. Ethnic minority groups were Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Hungarian (one dataset). Overall, we found minority versus majority groups to have significantly worse distress (mean difference -0·37, 95% CI -0·46 to -0·28; p<0·0001), depression (-0·23, -0·36 to -0·11; p=0·0003), and overall HRQoL (-0·33, -0·58 to -0·07; p=0·013). Further analyses found disparities to be specific to Hispanic patients in the USA, in whom poorer outcomes were consistent with potentially clinically important differences for distress (effect size -0·37, 95% CI -0·54 to -0·20; p<0·0001), social HRQoL (-0·45, -0·87 to -0·03; p=0·035), and overall HRQoL (-0·49, -0·78 to -0.20; p=0·0008). Results were significantly heterogeneous for overall HRQoL and all domains. Tests for interaction, for adjusted versus unadjusted and comparisons of high-quality, medium-quality, and low-quality articles, were generally non-significant, which suggests no bias. We found no evidence of any substantive publication bias.

INTERPRETATION

Hispanic cancer patients in the USA, but not other ethnic minority groups, report significantly worse distress, depression, social HRQoL, and overall HRQoL than do majority patients, of which all but depression might be clinically important. Heterogeneous results might, however, have limited the interpretation. Data for other minority groups and for anxiety are scarce. More studies are needed from outside the USA. Future reports should more clearly describe their minority group samples and analyses should control for clinical and sociodemographic variables known to predict outcomes. Understanding of why outcomes are poor in US Hispanic patients is needed to inform the targeting of interventions.

FUNDING

Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia.

A contextual approach to understanding breast cancer survivorship among Latinas

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this review is to describe the empirical literature on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Latina breast cancer survivors by exploring the social determinants of health. In framing the key domains of survivors' quality of life within a ecological-contextual model that evaluates individual and societal contributions to health outcomes, we provide a comprehensive landscape of the diverse factors constituting Latina survivors' lived experiences and their resultant quality of life outcomes.

METHODS

We retrieved 244 studies via search engines and reference lists, of which 37 studies met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Findings document the importance of the social determinants of HRQOL, with studies documenting ecological and contextual factors accounting for significant variance in HRQOL outcomes. Our review identifies a dearth of research examining community-, institutional-, and policy-level factors, such as health care access, legal and immigration factors, physical and built environments, and health care affordability and policies affecting Latina breast cancer survivors' HRQOL.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall research on Latina breast cancer survivorship is sparse, with even greater underrepresentation within longitudinal and intervention studies. Results highlight a need for clear documentation of the comprehensive care needs of underserved cancer survivors and interventions considering integrated systems of care to address the medical and ecological factors known to impact the HRQOL of breast cancer survivors.

Racial/ethnic differences in quality of life after diagnosis of breast cancer

INTRODUCTION

Most studies on quality of life of breast cancer survivors have not had adequate representation of ethnic minorities. The purpose of this study was to determine whether racial/ethnic differences in quality of life exist between white, African American, and Latina women in the early stages of survivorship.

METHODS

2268 women were identified by two Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries (6/05-2/07) and asked to complete a survey (mean 9 months post-diagnosis, 72.1% response rate). Latina and African American women were over-sampled. Regression models compared quality of life across race/ethnicity (white, African American, Latina [low vs. high acculturation]), sequentially controlling for sociodemographics, clinical, and treatment factors.

RESULTS

There were significant racial/ethnic differences in quality of life controlling for sociodemographics, clinical factors and treatment factors. Lower acculturated Latinas compared to whites had significantly lower functional well-being, emotional well-being, and breast cancer concerns (p values < 0.05). African Americans had significantly higher emotional well-being than whites. Age, co-morbidities, cancer stage, and chemotherapy also influenced quality of life. A significant interaction was found between race/ethnicity and age for physical well-being (p = 0.041) and for emotional well-being (p = 0.042). Specifically, racial/ethnic differences were only observed among older women (>or=50 years), with less acculturated Latinas reporting the lowest quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Racial/ethnic differences in quality of life exist during the cancer survivorship period. Latinas with low acculturation are a particularly vulnerable subgroup.

IMPLICATIONS

Greater attention should be devoted to identifying women disproportionately affected by breast cancer and developing interventions targeting their unique survivorship concerns.