Impact of COVID-19-related experiences on health-related quality of life in cancer survivors in the United States

Amy K Otto, Sarah Prinsloo, Akina Natori, Richard W Wagner, Telma I Gomez, Jewel M Ochoa, Shelley S Tworoger, Cornelia M Ulrich, Sairah Ahmed, Jennifer L McQuade, Anita R Peoples, Michael H Antoni, Julienne E Bower, Lorenzo Cohen and Frank J Penedo

PLOS ONE, 2024, vol. 19, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: Objective: Little evidence exists on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer survivors, limiting recommendations to improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in this population. We describe survivors’ pandemic experiences and examine associations between COVID-19-related exposures, psychosocial experiences, and HRQoL. Methods: Between May 2020-April 2021, survivors completed cross-sectional questionnaires capturing COVID-19-related exposures (e.g., exposure to virus, job loss); psychosocial experiences (i.e., COVID-19-related anxiety/depression, disruptions to health care and daily activities/social interactions, satisfaction with providers’ response to COVID, financial hardship, perceived benefits of the pandemic, social support, and perceived stress management ability); and HRQoL. Results: Data were collected from N = 11,325 survivors in the United States. Participants were mostly female (58%), White (89%) and non-Hispanic (88%), and age 63 on average. Breast cancer was the most common diagnosis (23%). Eight percent of participants reported being exposed to COVID-19; 1% tested positive. About 6% of participants lost their jobs, while 24% lost household income. Nearly 30% avoided attending in-person oncology appointments because of the pandemic. Poorer HRQoL was associated with demographic (younger age; female; non-Hispanic White), clinical (Medicare; stage IV disease; hematologic/digestive/respiratory system cancer), and psychosocial factors (low perceived benefits and stress management ability; more disruption to health care and daily activities/social interactions; financial hardship). Conclusions: COVID-19-related stressors were associated with various psychosocial experiences in cancer survivors, and these psychosocial experiences were associated with HRQoL above and beyond demographic and clinical factors.

Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0297077

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297077

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