title: Influence of offspring on quality of life among cancer patients and survivors: results from the Korean longitudinal study of aging (KLoSA), 2008-2011.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To examine whether offspring improve or reduce quality of life (QOL) among cancer patients and survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) from 2008 to 2011. There were 490 research subjects in our study: 245 cancer patients and survivors and 245 controls matched using propensity scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For cancer patients and survivors with no offspring, the QOL estimate was -2.831 lower (SE: 5.508, p-value: 0.623) than that of those with two offspring, while for those with five or more offspring, the QOL estimate was 7.336 higher (SE: 2.840, p-value: 0.036). For non-cancer patients and survivors with one child, the QOL estimate was -11.258 lower (SE: 2.430, p-value: 0.002) than that of those with two offspring, while for those with five or more offspring, the QOL estimate was -4.881 lower (SE: 2.484, p-value: 0.090).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This article provides evidence for a beneficial effect of offspring upon QOL in cancer patients and survivors, indicating that offspring are important for them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea E-mail : ecpark@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Jae-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun-Cheol
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012944:Social Support; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*