Judicialization and cancer: quality of life of patients and caregivers in the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract Background In Brazil, cancer patients and caregivers of cancer patients seek judicial intervention for free access to medications from the public health system. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic potentially affected the health-related quality of life of cancer patients and caregivers of cancer...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Health and Quality of Life Outcomes |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-023-02173-3 |
| _version_ | 1797451414523346944 |
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| author | Leila Abou Salha José Elmo de Menezes Danilo Rocha Dias Virginia Visconde Brasil Pedro Lopes Ferreira Jolivê Mendes de Santana Filho Maria Alves Barbosa |
| author_facet | Leila Abou Salha José Elmo de Menezes Danilo Rocha Dias Virginia Visconde Brasil Pedro Lopes Ferreira Jolivê Mendes de Santana Filho Maria Alves Barbosa |
| author_sort | Leila Abou Salha |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background In Brazil, cancer patients and caregivers of cancer patients seek judicial intervention for free access to medications from the public health system. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic potentially affected the health-related quality of life of cancer patients and caregivers of cancer patients. This study aimed to describe the sociodemographic profile and assess the health-related quality of life of patients and caregivers in the state of Goias, Brazil, in 2020. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Medical Outcomes Study 36—Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Results A total of 88 (67,7%) patients and 42 (32,3%) caregivers participated in the study, mostly women (55,5%); aged from 18 to 60 (66%) years old; with up to nine years of education (73,1%) and monthly family income lower than the minimum wage (69,2%); married or in a stable union (92,3%); living with multiple people in the same household (73,8%). The quality of life domains with the best scores were mental health for patients and pain for caregivers. The most affected quality of life domain was physical limitation for patients and caregivers. Factors associated with better quality of life were female gender and age between 18 and 60 years in patients, more than 9 years of education, living with multiple people in the same house, and having a monthly family income higher than US$200 for caregivers. Conclusion The study found evidence of physical and emotional vulnerability during the pandemic, highlighting the need to strengthen public policies of assistance support to this population. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:53:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8976375cdf1743ffa25f54061a962cdc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1477-7525 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:53:22Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health and Quality of Life Outcomes |
| spelling | doaj.art-8976375cdf1743ffa25f54061a962cdc2023-11-26T14:19:07ZengBMCHealth and Quality of Life Outcomes1477-75252023-08-0121111210.1186/s12955-023-02173-3Judicialization and cancer: quality of life of patients and caregivers in the COVID-19 pandemicLeila Abou Salha0José Elmo de Menezes1Danilo Rocha Dias2Virginia Visconde Brasil3Pedro Lopes Ferreira4Jolivê Mendes de Santana Filho5Maria Alves Barbosa6Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of GoiasFederal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of GoiasFaculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Minas GeraisFaculty of Nursing, Federal University of GoiasFaculty of Economics, University of CoimbraFederal Institute of GoiasFaculty of Medicine, Federal University of GoiasAbstract Background In Brazil, cancer patients and caregivers of cancer patients seek judicial intervention for free access to medications from the public health system. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic potentially affected the health-related quality of life of cancer patients and caregivers of cancer patients. This study aimed to describe the sociodemographic profile and assess the health-related quality of life of patients and caregivers in the state of Goias, Brazil, in 2020. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Medical Outcomes Study 36—Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Results A total of 88 (67,7%) patients and 42 (32,3%) caregivers participated in the study, mostly women (55,5%); aged from 18 to 60 (66%) years old; with up to nine years of education (73,1%) and monthly family income lower than the minimum wage (69,2%); married or in a stable union (92,3%); living with multiple people in the same household (73,8%). The quality of life domains with the best scores were mental health for patients and pain for caregivers. The most affected quality of life domain was physical limitation for patients and caregivers. Factors associated with better quality of life were female gender and age between 18 and 60 years in patients, more than 9 years of education, living with multiple people in the same house, and having a monthly family income higher than US$200 for caregivers. Conclusion The study found evidence of physical and emotional vulnerability during the pandemic, highlighting the need to strengthen public policies of assistance support to this population.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-023-02173-3Quality of lifeAntineoplastic agentsCancerJudicialization of healthCaregivers |
| spellingShingle | Leila Abou Salha José Elmo de Menezes Danilo Rocha Dias Virginia Visconde Brasil Pedro Lopes Ferreira Jolivê Mendes de Santana Filho Maria Alves Barbosa Judicialization and cancer: quality of life of patients and caregivers in the COVID-19 pandemic Health and Quality of Life Outcomes Quality of life Antineoplastic agents Cancer Judicialization of health Caregivers |
| title | Judicialization and cancer: quality of life of patients and caregivers in the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Judicialization and cancer: quality of life of patients and caregivers in the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Judicialization and cancer: quality of life of patients and caregivers in the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Judicialization and cancer: quality of life of patients and caregivers in the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Judicialization and cancer: quality of life of patients and caregivers in the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | judicialization and cancer quality of life of patients and caregivers in the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | Quality of life Antineoplastic agents Cancer Judicialization of health Caregivers |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-023-02173-3 |
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