title: Does illness perception explain quality of life of patients with prostate cancer?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is licely that illness perceptions can explain variations in quality of life of patients with prostate cancer across different treatment methods and stages. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if illness perception can explain variations in quality of life of patients with prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cross-sectional national-level study was carried out. Quality of life was evaluated with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 and the Visual Analogue Scale. Illness perceptions were measured by the revised Illness Perception Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 77.1% (N=501). The variation in global quality of life was explained (32.0%) by levels of emotional representation (β=-0.126; P=0.023) and consequences (β=-0.209; P<0.01); physical functioning (27.0%), by consequences (β=-0.203; P<0.01) and chemotherapy (β=-2.911; P=0.007); role functioning (37.0%), by emotional representations (β=-0.198; P<0.01), timeline cyclical (β=-0.209; P=0.014), and stage of the disease (β=-0.779; P=0.007); emotional functioning (43.0%), by emotional representations (β=-0.361; P<0.01) and education level (β=-0.566; P=0.025); cognitive functioning (34.0%), by educational level (β=0.714; P=0.005), emotional representations (β=-0.118; P=0.019), illness coherence (β=-0.167; P=0.030), consequences (β=-0.187; P=0.001), and hormonal therapy (β=-0.778; P=0.049); and social functioning (39.0%), by consequences (β=-0.320; P<0.01) and combined treatment (β=-1.492; P=0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Illness perceptions may be important while investigating quality of life in patients with prostate cancer. It may underlie quality-of-life differences in this group of patients and could inform decision makers about the importance of the provision of psychosocial services to patients with prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eivenių 4, 50161 Kaunas, Lithuania. ausra.mickeviciene@lsmuni.lt.
authors.forename: Aušra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mickevičienė
authors.forename: Giedrius
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vanagas
authors.forename: Mindaugas
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jievaltas
authors.forename: Albertas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ulys
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition; D004644:Emotions; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires