title: Health-related quality of life and sense of coherence among partners of women with breast cancer in Israel.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare HRQOL of husbands of women with non-metastatic breast cancer to husbands of healthy women. Additionally, to examine the impact of Sense of Coherence (SOC), socio-demographic, and clinical variables, on HRQOL of spouses in both groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study used a comparative, matched, convenience sample. Husbands of women with non-metastatic breast cancer (n = 50), undergoing chemotherapy during 3-6 months after diagnoses and spouses of healthy women (n = 50) participated in a study. HRQOL was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS SF-36), and coping characteristics were measured using the Short Sense of Coherence scale. Socio-demographic factors, cancer stage, and treatments were collected. The groups were matched by age, education, employment (working/not working). The physical and mental component summary scores were dependent variables in the regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physical and Mental Component Summary indexes in the study group were significantly lower than in the control group. Higher education level, greater income, or more daily working hours were associated with better physical health index (added 30% to explaining the variance). The only personal variable predicting the mental component of QOL was financial situation (added 7%). Higher SOC was associated with higher HRQOL. Disease and treatment characteristics were found to have no influence upon the husbands' QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While the main influence found in this study of a woman's breast cancer on her partner's quality of life is on the mental component, the partner's physical health should also be taken into account.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Nursing Department, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel. Electronic address: vlshor@bgu.ac.il.
authors.forename: Vlada
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shor
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Nursing Department, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel. Electronic address: grinstie@bgu.ac.il.
authors.forename: Orli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Grinstein-Cohen
authors.affiliation: Drexel University, College of Nursing and Health Professions, USA; Ben Gurion University, Department of Nursing, Israel.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reinshtein
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Nursing Department, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel. Electronic address: orlylib@bgu.ac.il.
authors.forename: Orly
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Liberman
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Chair-Research Committee, Nursing Department, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel. Electronic address: delbar@bgu.ac.il.
authors.forename: Vered
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Delbar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D060685:Sense of Coherence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: Breast cancer; Chemotherapy; Husbands; Oncology; Quality of life; Sense of coherence