Cancer Patients and Anxiety: A Gender Perspective

Paula Parás-Bravo, María Paz-Zulueta, Ester Boixadera-Planas, Víctor Fradejas-Sastre, Domingo Palacios-Ceña, César Fernández- de-las-Peñas and Cristina Alonso-Blanco
Additional contact information
Paula Parás-Bravo: Faculty of Nursing, University of Cantabria. Avda Valdecilla s/n, 39008 Santander, Cantabria, Spain
María Paz-Zulueta: Faculty of Nursing, University of Cantabria. Avda Valdecilla s/n, 39008 Santander, Cantabria, Spain
Ester Boixadera-Planas: Ester Boixadera-Planas. 4. Servei d’Estadística Aplicada of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.Plaça Cívica, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Víctor Fradejas-Sastre: Faculty of Nursing, University of Cantabria. Avda Valdecilla s/n, 39008 Santander, Cantabria, Spain
Domingo Palacios-Ceña: Department of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation, and Physical Medicine, University Rey Juan Carlos, Avda de Atenas s/n, 28922 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
César Fernández- de-las-Peñas: Department of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation, and Physical Medicine, University Rey Juan Carlos, Avda de Atenas s/n, 28922 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
Cristina Alonso-Blanco: Department of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation, and Physical Medicine, University Rey Juan Carlos, Avda de Atenas s/n, 28922 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: The complexity of the diagnosis and treatment of cancer means that it is often associated with anxiety symptoms. The aim of our study was to further our understanding of the oncological process and the presence of anxiety symptoms, from a gender perspective. A cross-sectional study was performed, examining 402 medical records obtained by simple random sampling of oncology patients at a hospital in northern Spain from July 2012 to July 2014. Data collection took place between February and May 2015. Psychiatric and sociodemographic variables were gathered, as well as pain variables and information regarding the oncological process. The data analysis included a descriptive univariate analysis and a bivariate analysis, and a logistic regression model was performed. Our results suggest that women with cancer suffer more anxiety symptoms than men with cancer. Women with anxiety symptoms represented 76.5% of all patients with anxiety. The OR of suffering anxiety symptoms between women and men was 2.43 (95% CI 1.05–5.63) ( p = 0.04). A greater incidence of anxiety symptoms was found in patients with cancer pain and oncological treatment with biological therapy. Our results suggest that the gender perspective is necessary in the management of mental health in patients with cancer. Nonetheless, further studies are necessary to confirm our findings.

Keywords: cancer; gender; anxiety; pain; side effects (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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