Abstract
ABSTRACT
Aim
This study aimed to investigate these aspects in female community‐dwelling cancer survivors.
Methods
This secondary analysis of a community‐based cancer survey was conducted in Tokyo, Japan. Emotional well‐being (EWB) and functional well‐being (FWB) were measured using two subdomains of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy‐General. The sample comprised 163 survivors of breast and gynecological cancers. We used descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analyses to explore the association between the challenges and EWB and FWB.
Results
All participants were women, of whom 118 and 45 were breast and gynecological cancer survivors, respectively. The most frequent challenges experienced but not addressed (referred to as “unaddressed challenges”) were “anxieties about progression and prognosis”, followed by “balancing hobbies and treatments”, and “depressed mood”. Although initial analyses suggested that the presence of challenges related to “depressed mood” and “balancing hobbies and treatments” was associated with lower EWB, these associations did not maintain statistical significance after adjusting for multiple testing. Conversely, excluding challenges related to “fertility preservation,” all unaddressed challenges related to
diagnosis and medical treatment
and
finances
remained robustly associated with lower scores in EWB and FWB. Among unaddressed challenges related to
balancing daily life and treatment
, “balancing housework and treatment” and “balancing hobbies and treatments” remained associated with lower scores in EWB and FWB.
Conclusions
Female community‐dwelling survivors of breast and gynecological cancers face various unaddressed challenges that diminish EWB and FWB. Early identification and targeted public health interventions are required to address survivors' daily life challenges and improve well‐being.