title: Gender differences in marital disruption among patients with cancer: results from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer is a major life event that imposes huge economic and mental burdens on patients and families. In addition, the diagnosis of cancer also causes significant family discordance that can lead to marital problems such as divorce or separation. The aim of this study was to investigate the association and any related gender differences between cancer diagnosis and marital disruption among cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the recent cross-sectional Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (4th and 5th; Years 2008-2012). The study participants were 623 married cancer survivors over the age of 19. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate odds ratios.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for socioeconomic status and health-related behaviors, the odds ratio of marital disruption among female cancer survivors compared with male cancer survivors was 3.94 (95%CI 1.30-11.94; p=0.02). The odds ratio of marital disruption for the below-average economic level compared with the above-average economic level was 5.64 (95%CI: 1.03-31.02; p=0.05). When compared with the non-smoking cancer survivors, the smoking cancer survivors had an OR of marital disruption equal to 2.94 (95%CI: 1.08-8.00; p=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study suggest that the odds of marital disruption among female cancer survivors are higher than those among their male counterparts. Medical practitioners should be sensitive to early signs of marital discord in couples affected by a cancer diagnosis. Early identification and psychosocial intervention might reduce the frequency of divorce and separation and thus improve quality of life and quality of care for cancer survivors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea E-mail : ecpark@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Hai-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jeoung-A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Jae-Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Sun-Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun-Cheol
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult