Health behaviors and quality of life in Chinese survivors of cervical cancer: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate health behaviors and quality of life (QoL) in cervical cancer survivors, and to identify factors that may compromise or enhance their health-related QoL. METHODS Data were collected retrospectively from the records of 102 consecutive patients with cervical cancer treated from May 2007 to January 2009 at the People's Hospital of Xintai City in Shandong Province. The study methodology was guided by the contextual model of health-related QoL. RESULTS The results showed the significant mediating effects of general health status and psychological well-being between life burden and health-related QoL, between sexual impact of the disease and health-related QoL, and between the patient-doctor relationship and health-related QoL. In addition, there were a significant association between health-related QoL, education level, tumor stage, marital status, and age. Life burden and the patient-doctor relationship was also related to the sexual impact of the disease. However, no significant difference in health-related QoL and sexual impact was observed according to type of treatment received. CONCLUSION These results advance our understanding of the predictors of health-related QoL and the relationship between them. Health-related QoL in cervical cancer survivors may be improved by mediating life burden, sexual functioning, and the patient-doctor relationship.