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Divorce after breast cancer diagnosis and its impact on quality of life

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 November 2021

Danbee Kang ,
Nayeon Kim ,
Gayeon Han ,
Sooyeon Kim ,
Hoyoung Kim ,
Jihyun Lim ,
Hyunsoo Kim ,
Sungkeun Shim Open the ORCID record for Sungkeun Shim [Opens in a new window] ,
Mangyeong Lee  and
Jeong Eon Lee
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Danbee Kang
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
Nayeon Kim
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea Cancer Education Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
Gayeon Han
Affiliation:
Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
Sooyeon Kim
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
Hoyoung Kim
Affiliation:
Cancer Education Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
Jihyun Lim
Affiliation:
Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
Hyunsoo Kim
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
Sungkeun Shim
Affiliation:
Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea Department of Digital Health, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
Mangyeong Lee
Affiliation:
Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea Department of Digital Health, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
Jeong Eon Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
Seok Jin Nam
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
Seok Won Kim
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
Jonghan Yu
Affiliation:
Department of Digital Health, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
Se Kyung Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Digital Health, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
Juhee Cho*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea Cancer Education Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea Department of Digital Health, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea Departments of Epidemiology and Medicine, and Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
*
Author for correspondence: Juhee Cho, Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, 115 Irwon-ro, Gangnam, Seoul 06335, South Korea. E-mail: jcho@skku.edu
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Abstract

Objective

This study aims to identify factors associated with divorce following breast cancer diagnosis and measures the impact of divorce on the quality of life (QoL) of patients.

Methods

We used cross-sectional survey data collected at breast cancer outpatient clinics in South Korea from November 2018 to April 2019. Adult breast cancer survivors who completed active treatment without any cancer recurrence at the time of the survey (N = 4,366) were included. The participants were classified into two groups: “maintaining marriage” and “being divorced,” between at the survey and at the cancer diagnosis. We performed logistic regression and linear regression to identify the factors associated with divorce after cancer diagnosis and to compare the QoL of divorced and nondivorced survivors.

Results

Approximately 11.1/1,000 of married breast cancer survivors experienced divorce after cancer diagnosis. Younger age, lower education, and being employed at diagnosis were associated with divorce. Being divorced survivors had significantly lower QoL (Coefficient [Coef] = −7.50; 95% CI = −13.63, −1.36), social functioning (Coef = −9.47; 95% CI = −16.36, −2.57), and body image (Coef = −8.34; 95% CI = −6.29, −0.39) than survivors who remained married. They also experienced more symptoms including pain, insomnia, financial difficulties, and distress due to hair loss.

Conclusion

Identifying risk factors of divorce will ultimately help ascertain the resources necessary for early intervention.

Keywords

Breast neoplasmChangeDivorceMarital statusQuality of life
Type
Original Article
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 20 , Issue 6 , December 2022 , pp. 807 - 812
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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