School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia.
Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0810, Australia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Dec 29;19(1):330. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19010330.
Little is known of the quality of life (QoL) of cancer patients in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, where healthcare delivery is geographically challenged. This exploratory study describes QoL among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cancer patients in the NT, in the first year of diagnosis. Participants were recruited from the only cancer care centre in the NT and completed the Assessment of Quality-of-Life questionnaire (AQoL-4D). The results were descriptively analysed. The participants' (n = 63; mean age 58.8 years) mean AQoL utility score was 0.72 (SD 0.26); patients scored lowest in the relationships and mental health dimensions of the questionnaire (mean 0.89, SD 0.19, and 0.89, SD 0.17, respectively). Participants living in remote and very remote areas (46%) reported higher QoL scores, compared with participants in the outer regional capital city of the NT in the overall (mean 0.76, SD 0.22 and 0.78, SD 0.20 vs. 0.67, SD 0.29, respectively), and mental health dimensions (mean 0.92, SD 0.09 and mean 0.94, SD 0.06 vs. 0.85, SD 0.22, respectively). The findings were suggestive of clinically meaningful differences across socioeconomic groups, cancer and treatment types, and comorbidity status. Mean QoL scores were consistent with previous reports in other Australian cancer cohorts. The findings suggest a need to support cancer patients' mental health and relationships during the diagnosis and treatment phase of their cancer journey.
北领地（NT）的医疗保健服务在地理上具有挑战性，因此，人们对该地区癌症患者的生活质量（QoL）知之甚少。本探索性研究描述了 NT 中土著和非土著癌症患者在诊断后的第一年的 QoL。参与者从 NT 唯一的癌症护理中心招募，并完成了生活质量评估问卷（AQoL-4D）。结果进行了描述性分析。参与者（n=63；平均年龄 58.8 岁）的平均 AQoL 效用得分为 0.72（SD 0.26）；患者在问卷的人际关系和心理健康维度得分最低（平均 0.89，SD 0.19 和 0.89，SD 0.17）。与 NT 外区域首府的参与者相比，居住在偏远和极偏远地区（46%）的参与者报告的 QoL 评分更高，在整体（平均 0.76，SD 0.22 和 0.78，SD 0.20 与 0.67，SD 0.29）和心理健康维度（平均 0.92，SD 0.09 和 0.94，SD 0.06 与 0.85，SD 0.22）。研究结果表明，在社会经济群体、癌症和治疗类型以及合并症状况方面存在具有临床意义的差异。平均 QoL 评分与其他澳大利亚癌症队列的先前报告一致。这些发现表明，需要在癌症患者的癌症治疗旅程的诊断和治疗阶段支持他们的心理健康和人际关系。
