How dignity-related distress interacts with quality of life in young adult patients with cancer during the active treatment stage: A network analysis.

OBJECTIVE

Young adult patients with cancer are a growing concern. By means of network analysis, this study aimed to explore the interplay between dignity-related distress and quality of life (QoL) in young adult patients with cancer when they undergo active treatments.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 309 young adults aged 18-39 and diagnosed with malignant tumors were recruited from an oncology center in China between September 2020 and August 2021. Participants completed the Patient Dignity Inventory and SF-36 questionnaires. Network analysis was applied to examine the network structure.

RESULTS

Overall, the core facets of dignity-related distress were negatively related to QoL and its corresponding domains, either directly or indirectly. Developmental distress played a central role among estimated networks and strongly interplayed with most QoL domains, especially the mental domains. Symptom distress was the only facet consistently interplayed with the physical domains of QoL (i.e., physical function and bodily pain). The social aspects were also revealed in the association between limited social support and vitality.

CONCLUSIONS

Early attention must be paid to guarantee the need of preserving dignity and enhancing QoL for young adult patients.