Communication, coping, and quality of life of breast cancer survivors and family/friend dyads: a pilot study of Chinese-Americans and Korean-Americans.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to understand the dyadic relationships between family communication and quality of life (QOL) and between coping and QOL in Chinese-American and Korean-American breast cancer survivor (BCS)-family member dyads.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey design was used. A total of 32 Chinese-American and Korean-American BCS-family member dyads were recruited from the California Cancer Surveillance Program and area hospitals in Los Angeles County, California, USA. The dyadic data were analyzed using a pooled regression actor-partner interdependence model.


RESULTS
The study findings demonstrated that the survivors' general communication and use of reframing coping positively predicted their own QOL. The survivors' and family members' general communication was also a strong predictor of the family members' physical-related QOL score specifically. Meanwhile, each person's use of mobilizing coping negatively predicted his or her partner's QOL.


CONCLUSIONS
The study findings add important information to the scarce literature on the QOL of Asian-American survivors of breast cancer. The findings suggest that Chinese-American and Korean-American BCS and their family members may benefit from interventions that enhance communication and coping within the family unit.
College of Social Welfare, Kangnam University, Korea.
Jung-Won
JW
Lim
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*
Asian-Americans; breast cancer survivors; dyadic relationship; family communication; family coping; quality of life