Quality of Life and Associated Factors Among Adult Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy Treatment at Amhara National, Regional State, Ethiopia, 2021

Abstract

Background In cancer, quality of life (QoL) is an important patient-reported metric; evaluating how patients feel physically and emotionally while fighting the disease could lead to better treatment. Despite its therapeutic effects, chemotherapy treatment causes a plethora of side effects that can affect QoL. Factors affecting the QoL of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment in Ethiopia have not been thoroughly investigated. As a result, this study assesses QoL and associated characteristics among adult cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at Amhara Region, Ethiopia in 2021. Martials and Methods From February 15 to May 15, 2021, an institutional based cross-sectional study was done in Amhara region. Three hundred fourteen patients were included in the study. The data was gathered using Amharic version of European organization for research and treatment of cancer quality of life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ C-30) through a face-to-face interview. Epi Data 4.6 was used to enter the data, which was then exported to SPSS version 23 for statistical analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The statistical significance was determined by a p-value of less than .05. Result Cancer patients in Amhara Region had a 44.32 average QoL. Emotional functioning AOR 1.01 (1.0–1.04), social functioning AOR 1.02 (1.01–1.03), nausea and vomiting AOR 0.95 (0.93–0.98), pain AOR 0.95 (0.93–0.98), financial difficulty 0.97 (0.95–0.99), education AOR 4.3 (1.49–12.32), underweight AOR 0.45 (0.24–0.84), > 5th cycle of chemotherapy AOR 4 (1.78–9.11), stage IV cancer AOR 0.21 (0.06–0.71), comorbidity AOR 0.28 (0.14–0.57), anxiety AOR 0.32 (0.12–0.84), and depression AOR 0.29 (0.13–0.63) were all significantly associated with QoL in multivariable logistic regression. Conclusion Adult cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in the Amhara region had a poor QoL. Emotional functioning, social functioning, nausea and vomiting, pain, financial difficulty, education, body mass index, cancer stage, chemotherapy cycle, comorbidity, anxiety, and depression all had association with QoL. To improve the QoL of cancer patients, QoL assessments, proper symptom management, nutritional support, and integration of psycho-oncology treatment should be considered.

Quality of life and associated factors among patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy at Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, North-East Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

“…Most (60.7%) of the participants had been affected by cancer or its symptoms. The participants who had good functional QoL were 42.6%, which was slightly lower than a study conducted in Gondar, Ethiopia, which reported that 44.8% of the participants had a good functional QoL score ( 19 ). The participants who had good overall health status and overall QoL were 54.8% and 31.7%, respectively.…”

“…This finding was much lower than a similar study conducted in Gondar, Ethiopia, which reported that the mean QoL of patients with cancer was 52.7 with a standard deviation of 20.1 ( 18 ). A similar recent study conducted in the cancer centers of Amhara Regional State also reported a higher average QoL score of 44.32 ( 19 ). The mean score of the QoL of patients with cancer in this study was also much lower than the national pooled result of various studies in Ethiopia, which was 57.91 ( 30 ).…”

“…Though the reported mean score for it was the lowest (32.8) among the symptom scales, the most common symptom among participants was diarrhea, affecting 65.5%, while appetite loss was the least prevalent at 34.3%. However, another study in Gondar, Ethiopia found appetite loss to be the most common symptom, impacting 77.1% of participants ( 19 ).…”

“…The QoL of cancer patients in Ethiopia is low ( 18 ), attributed to a lack of awareness, education, and delayed diagnosis, resulting in advanced stages and a poorer prognosis ( 19 ). Ethiopia faces a shortage of healthcare professionals, causing delayed treatment ( 20 ).…”

Quality of Life among Ethiopian Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review of Literatures

“…Nowadays, measuring QoL is common among cancer patients. Most research in Ethiopia revealed that cancer patients had poor QoL ( Abegaz et al, 2018 ; Hassen et al, 2019 ; Muhamed et al, 2023 ). Previous research has shown that low QoL is associated with undesirable treatment outcomes, such as mental illness, that is, anxiety, depression, and hopelessness, which may gradually worsen the prognosis and increase mortality rates ( Tesemma et al, 2019 ).…”