title: The correlates of unemployment and its association with quality of life in cervical cancer survivors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little is known regarding cervical cancer survivors' employment status, which represents social integration of cancer survivors as a pivotal domain of long-term quality of life. The goal of this study was to assess the correlates of unemployment and evaluate the impact on the comprehensive quality of life in cervical cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 858 cervical cancer survivors from the gynecologic oncology departments of multi-centers in Korea. Factors associated with unemployment were identified using multivariate logistic regression analyses. We assessed different health-related quality of life domains with multivariate-adjusted least-square means between cervical cancer survivors who currently work and do not.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After diagnosis and treatment, the percentage of unemployed survivors increased from 50.6% to 72.8%. Lower income (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38 to 2.81), medical aid (aOR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.38), two or more comorbidities (aOR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.12 to 2.90), current alcohol drinkers (aOR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.54 to 3.52), and employed at the time of diagnosis (aOR, 10.72; 95% CI, 7.10 to 16.16) were significantly associated with unemployment. Non-working groups showed significant differences with respect to physical functioning, role functioning, depression, and existential well-being.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proportion of unemployed cervical cancer survivors seems to increase, with low-income status and the presence of medical aid negatively being associated with employment, in addition to other comorbidities and previous working status. Effort should be made to secure the financial status of cervical cancer survivors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Shin-Hye
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Young Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Sangmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young Ae
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Yoon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Duk-Soo
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Joo Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Chong Taik
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Chi-Heum
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jong-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Cancer survivor; Cervical cancer; Health-related quality of life; Unemployment