IJERPH, Vol. 20, Pages 2487: Quality of Life in Amazonian Women during Cervical Cancer Treatment: The Moderating Role of Spirituality (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health)
This study aimed to examine the contribution of psychological variables to quality of life (QoL) of Amazonian women and to analyze the moderating role of spirituality in the relationship between psychological morbidity and Qol and between illness perception and QoL This cross-sectional study included 119 women undergoing treatment for cervical cancer (CC). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the sample. The Pearson correlation test was used to evaluate the relationship between sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological variables. To test how psychological morbidity, illness perception, and spirituality contribute to QoL, a path analysis was performed. The results revealed that the presence of symptoms, high psychological morbidity, negative body image, and threatening illness perception were predictors of lower QoL. Spirituality moderated the relationship between psychological morbidity and QoL, and between illness perception and QoL. This moderating role of spirituality emphasizes its role as a coping strategy and should be included in cancer treatment. Interventions should target psychological morbidity, threatening illness perception, and address women`s concerns with body image and sexual concerns. CC treatment should include interprofessional healthcare teams addressing the biological and psychosocial factors of Amazonian women. As a result of this study a mobile application to monitor women’s health, adapted to cultural and social characteristics was created.