title: The impact of pain on the quality of life of Taiwanese oncology patients.
abstract: This study explored the relationship between participants' pain experience and quality of life (QOL). One hundred nine patients aged 18 years and older who had taken prescribed opioid analgesics for cancer-related pain at a teaching hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, completed the Brief Pain Inventory and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Group Questionnaire. The results indicated that participants in this study had experienced a mean functional QOL of 55.47 (SD 21.48), a mean symptom QOL of 41.97 (SD 16.89), and a mean global QOL of 42.13 (SD 20.69). Participants reported that in the previous 7 days, they had experienced a mean least pain of 1.75 (SD 0.18) and a mean worst pain of 6.81 (SD 0.24). The mean score for average pain intensity was 4.14 (SD 0.21), whereas the mean for current pain level was 2.53 (SD 0.21). The mean pain interference in the patients' daily activities was 3.50 (SD 0.22) on a scale ranging from 0 to 10. Furthermore, a significant correlation existed between global (r = -0.375, p < .01), functional (r = -0.300, p < .01), and symptom (r = 0.405, p < .01) QOL and worst pain. Moreover, the results indicated a significant correlation between global (r = -0.461, p < .01), functional (r = -0.430, p < .01), and symptom (r = 0.505, p < .01) QOL and pain interference. The current results support the observation that cancer pain substantially affects a patient's quality of life. The findings provide empirical support for the need for better programmatic efforts to improve pain management in Taiwanese oncology outpatients.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: shuyuan@ntunhs.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Shu-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Fang
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Hematology-Oncology, Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ta-Chung
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of General Surgery, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ling-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Wen
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsae-Jyy
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Yin
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010146:Pain / Q000451:nursing*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000451:nursing*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000451:nursing*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid