Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Gerontological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21527, Egypt. and Department of Nursing, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia.
2
Cancer Management and Research Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21527, Egypt.
3
Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Modern University for Technology and Information, Egypt.
4
Department of Nursing, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia and Critical Care and Emergency Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21527, Egypt.
5
Department of Gerontological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21527, Egypt
Abstract
Purpose: The study aimed to investigate the association between perceived social support and
psychosocial adjustment of geriatric cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: Two hundred
geriatric patients provided consent were interviewed and the data collected using the Psychosocial
Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS),
In addition to demographic and clinical data. Data was collected from Kasr Al-Aini Center for Oncology
and Nuclear Medicine, Cairo, Egypt after the study protocol was approved (Approval No. 10), August
2019. Correlations using Pearson and Spearman coefficients as well as binary logistic regression were
used using The IBM SPSS software package, version 26. Results: The psychological distress domain
was found to have the highest mean score (14.2±4.5) among the psychosocial adjustment domains,
whereas extended family relations were found to have the lowest mean score 6.8 ± 2.09. The study also
found that there was a significant negative correlation between the overall scores of the psychosocial
adjustment scale and the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (p <0.001). Moreover, a
significant negative correlation between the overall scores of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived
Social Support and the following sub- domains of the Psychosocial Adjustment Scale: health care
orientation, extended family relations, and psychological distress (p <0.001) was detected. Those with
high level of perceived social support were 0.044 times more likely to have high psychosocial
adjustment compared to those with low level of perceived social support (p<0.001). Females were twice
less likely to have high psychosocial adjustments compared to the males. Conclusion: Our findings
indicate that there is an association between perceived social support and elderly' psychosocial
adjustment. In addition, perceived social support is found to be an independent predictor of psychosocial
adjustment. Therefore, establishing or strengthening the existing social structures throughout the
treatment journey is recommended for elderly cancer patients.
Keywords
)
View on SCiNiTO