Abstract
Abstract
Background:
Despite Islam being the world's second largest religion and despite the fact that there are 22 Arabic-speaking nations representing North Africa and the Middle East, little is known about the relationship between spiritual well-being and health-related quality of life (HrQoL) for Arabic-speaking Muslims in treatment for cancer.
Aim:
The study's aim was to determine whether spiritual well-being is correlated with HrQoL and whether participants' age, sex, marital status, site of cancer, and stage of disease are related to spiritual well-being.
Design:
Using a cross-sectional design, a total of 159 Arabic-speaking, study-eligible cancer patients who were in treatment at the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC), Amman, Jordan, completed three questionnaires: a demographic questionnaire; the Functional Assessment in Cancer Therapy–General (FACT-G), which assesses the physical, social, functional, and emotional domains of HrQoL; and the Functional Assessment in Chronic Illness Therapy–Spiritual Well-being (FACIT-Sp).
Results:
Physical well-being was negatively correlated with the FACIT-Sp for men, divorced, and stage IV disease. Social Well-being was positively correlated with the FACIT-Sp for ages 18–34 and 35–49 years; both sexes; married, never married, and divorced; breast, bone/sarcoma, and gastrointestinal cancers; and stages II–IV. Emotional Well-being was negatively correlated with the FACIT-Sp for ages 35–49; males; never married; and stages III and IV. Functional Well-being was positively correlated with the FACIT-Sp for ages 35–49 and 50–64; both sexes; married or never married; and stages II and III. Age and cancer site showed a positive relationship with spiritual well-being.
Conclusions:
The FACIT-Sp distinguishes between domains of HrQoL and patient characteristics. Further study on the unique contribution of the FACIT-Sp's Peace and Meaning subscales to HrQoL is needed.
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