title: Predictors of quality of life of cancer patients, their children, and partners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to assess the quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients and their family members over 1-year period post therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated QOL in cancer patients (N = 161) (Short Form-8 Health Survey (SF-8), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer 30- Item Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30)), their partners (N = 110) (SF-8), and their children (N = 115) (KIDSCREEN-27) using a longitudinal design (t1: post therapy, t2: 6 months after t1, t3: 12 months after t1). Multiple regression models were employed to examine factors related to QOL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After cancer therapy, impairments in the patients' QOL were found primarily in emotional and social areas and also in role functions. We found the highest symptom burden in fatigue (M = 45.21), sleep disturbances (M = 41.04), and financial difficulties (M = 39.2). Partners had lower mental QOL compared with the general population at each assessment point (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found in physical QOL between partners and the general population (p > 0.05). Social support, full-time employment, tumor stage 0-2, time since diagnosis <1 year, and lower levels of anxiety and depression were associated with better QOL in patients. Full-time employment, social support, and lower levels of anxiety and depression had a significant impact on the partners' QOL. Higher levels of anxiety and depression in patients (p = 0.006) adversely influenced children's QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Family members' QOL is overall stable over time indicating the need for professional psychosocial support for those family members with low QOL. For the children, new measures are needed to better examine the experience with parental cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Heide
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Götze
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.|Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brähler
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Romer
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: von Klitzing
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: German Study Group ‘Children of Parents with Cancer’; cancer; children; parents; quality of life