Influence of offspring on quality of life among cancer patients and survivors: results from the Korean longitudinal study of aging (KLoSA), 2008-2011

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Citation: ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CANCER PREVENTION, Vol.15(23) : 10531-10537, 2014

MeSH: Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Depression/psychology ; Family Characteristics* ; Female ; Humans ; Loneliness/psychology ; Male ; Neoplasms/psychology* ; Parents/psychology* ; Quality of Life/psychology* ; Republic of Korea ; Social Support ; Survivors/psychology*

Keywords: Offspring ; loneliness ; Depressive disorder ; Korean cancer patients

Abstract: BACKGROUND: To examine whether offspring improve or reduce quality of life (QOL) among cancer patients and survivors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) from 2008 to 2011. There were 490 research subjects in our study: 245 cancer patients and survivors and 245 controls matched using propensity scores.

RESULTS: For cancer patients and survivors with no offspring, the QOL estimate was -2.831 lower (SE: 5.508, p-value: 0.623) than that of those with two offspring, while for those with five or more offspring, the QOL estimate was 7.336 higher (SE: 2.840, p-value: 0.036). For non-cancer patients and survivors with one child, the QOL estimate was -11.258 lower (SE: 2.430, p-value: 0.002) than that of those with two offspring, while for those with five or more offspring, the QOL estimate was -4.881 lower (SE: 2.484, p-value: 0.090).

CONCLUSIONS: This article provides evidence for a beneficial effect of offspring upon QOL in cancer patients and survivors, indicating that offspring are important for them.