The quality of life of male spouses of women with breast cancer: hope, self-efficacy, and perceptions of guilt.
BACKGROUND
The quality of life of male spouses of partners with breast cancer may determine the support they are able to give their wives. Little is known about the factors associated with their quality of life.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the quality of life of male spouses of partners with breast cancer with the following factors: (a) demographic variables of male spouses and their partners, (b) levels of hope of male spouses and their partners, (c) self-efficacy and loss and grief of male spouses, and (d) quality of life of partners with breast cancer.


METHODS
Six hundred surveys were mailed to women with breast cancer (stage 1-3) and their male spouses. A total of 110 surveys were completed.


RESULTS
With the use of generalized linear modeling, participating male spouses with higher quality of life scores: (a) were older (P = .01), (b) had higher hope scores (P = .01), (c) had lower feelings of guilt scores (P < .01) (subscale of loss and grief), (d) had higher general self-efficacy scores (P < .01), and (e) had partners with breast cancer with higher quality of life scores (P < .01).


CONCLUSIONS
Hope, self-efficacy, feelings of guilt, age, and their partners' quality of life were significantly related to quality of life of the male spouses of women with breast cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings underscore the importance of assessing for and fostering hope and self-efficacy as well as decreasing guilt in male spouses of women with breast cancer to improve their quality of life.
Author Affiliations: Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton (Dr Duggleby); Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, Saskatoon (Ms Doell); Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region, Regina, Saskatchewan (Rev Cooper); MacLean Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ontario (Dr Thomas); Faculty of Dentistry and Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Dr Ghosh).
Wendy
W
Duggleby
Heather
H
Doell
Dan
D
Cooper
Roanne
R
Thomas
Sunita
S
Ghosh
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000416:Alberta; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006167:Guilt; D065026:Hope; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012938:Social Perception; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires