Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
Cancer. 2019 Feb 1;125(3):473-481. doi: 10.1002/cncr.31809. Epub 2018 Dec 3.
Adequate social support for older adults is necessary to maintain quality of life and reduce mortality and morbidity. However, little is known regarding the social support needs of older adults with cancer. The objective of the current study was to examine social support needs, specifically the unmet needs, among older adults with cancer.
Medicare beneficiaries (those aged ≥65 years) with cancer were identified from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System Cancer Community Network. Social support needs were assessed using a modified version of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. The authors defined an "unmet need" if participants reported having some/a little/never availability of support and requiring support for that need.
Of the 1460 participants in the current study, the average age was 74 years (standard deviation, 5.8 years). Approximately two-thirds of participants (986 participants; 67.5%) reported having at least 1 social support need, with the highest needs noted in the emotional (49.5%) and physical (47.4%) support subdomains. Of those individuals with a support need, approximately 45% had at least 1 unmet need, with the greatest percentages noted in the medical (39%) and informational (36%) subdomains. Multivariable analyses demonstrated that participants who were nonwhite, were divorced or never married, or had a high symptom burden were at greatest risk of having unmet social support needs across subdomains.
In this population of older adults with cancer, the authors found high levels of unmet social support needs, particularly in the medical and informational support subdomains. Participants who were nonwhite, were divorced or never married, or had a high symptom burden were found to be at greatest risk of having unmet needs.
为了维持老年人的生活质量，降低死亡率和发病率，他们需要获得足够的社会支持。然而，目前对于癌症老年患者的社会支持需求知之甚少。本研究旨在探讨癌症老年患者的社会支持需求，特别是未满足的需求。
从阿拉巴马大学伯明翰健康系统癌症社区网络中确定了医疗保险受益人的癌症患者（年龄≥65 岁）。使用医疗结局研究社会支持调查的改良版评估社会支持需求。如果参与者报告某种/有点/从未有支持可用，并且需要支持该需求，则作者将其定义为“未满足的需求”。
在本研究的 1460 名参与者中，平均年龄为 74 岁（标准差为 5.8 岁）。大约三分之二的参与者（986 名；67.5%）报告至少有 1 种社会支持需求，其中情感（49.5%）和身体（47.4%）支持子领域的需求最高。在有支持需求的人中，约有 45%至少有 1 种未满足的需求，其中医疗（39%）和信息（36%）子领域的百分比最高。多变量分析表明，在所有子领域中，非白人、离婚或未婚、或有高症状负担的参与者最有可能存在未满足的社会支持需求。
在本研究的癌症老年患者人群中，作者发现存在高度的未满足的社会支持需求，特别是在医疗和信息支持子领域。非白人、离婚或未婚、或有高症状负担的参与者被发现最有可能存在未满足的需求。
